New Delhi

The BJP on Tuesday welcomed a Madras High Court order upholding a single judge's directive allowing the lighting of a lamp at a stone pillar atop the Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai, and described the DMK, Congress and the opposition 'INDI alliance' as "anti-Hindu" and "anti-Sanatan".

The party also vowed to fight any attempt to divide people along the lines of caste or religion.

Addressing a press conference after the division bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan delivered the judgment, senior BJP leader and Union minister Piyush Goyal termed the order a "slap on the face of the appeasement policy" of the opposition bloc and "victory of the Hindu religion".

"The two judges have given conclusive direction that this is an age-old practice. This is a matter of the Hindu religion and the sentiments of the local people. The practice has been going on for centuries.

“This order has clearly lifted the veil of the DMK government (in Tamil Nadu), Chief Minister M K Stalin, his son and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Congress and all the INDI alliance members,” Goyal said at the BJP headquarters here.

The high court bench slammed the DMK government, which had submitted that there was no evidence to establish that the pillar was a "deepathoon", saying it should not "stoop to that level" to achieve its "political agenda".

The bench also made it clear that the spot on which the stone pillar (deepathoon) is located belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy temple.

The Tamil Nadu government indicated that it would appeal against the order in the Supreme Court.

“Strongly condemning” the leaders of the DMK, Congress and their allies for their alleged anti-Hindu statements, Goyal said the BJP will always fight for maintaining the secular fabric of the nation, and against the “appeasement policy”.

“We will not tolerate any attempt to divide people along the lines of caste and religion. The country will not accept the appeasement policy of the INDI alliance. This country respects all religions equally,” he said.

Goyal, who is the BJP's election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, said people of the southern state would give the DMK and its allies a befitting reply in every single opportunity, recalling the “overwhelming” victory of the NDA in the recent Bihar elections and in the local body polls in Maharashtra.

Goyal also slammed the opposition members for moving an impeachment motion against Madras High Court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, who first held that the Arulmighu Subramania Swamy temple was duty-bound to light the lamp at the ‘deepathoon’, in addition to the customary lighting near the Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam.

The BJP leader claimed that the DMK took the initiative for the impeachment motion, which was signed by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, NCP's Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Arvind Sawant, among others.

“They are intimidating the judiciary and levelling false charges against the honourable judge,” Goyal claimed, terming the allegations “extremely unfortunate”.

He also claimed that this shows the “bias” and “anti-Hindu mindset” of the opposition leaders, accusing the ruling DMK of indulging in “appeasement politics to curry favour to a small dargah” located nearby.

“Their reality has been exposed,” Goyal said.

The BJP leader also said the court dismissed the state government's argument that allowing the lighting of the lamp may create a law and order situation by maintaining that it was an “imaginary ghost” apprehended by the state authority.

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“This clearly shows that the state government and the INDI alliance might themselves sponsor disturbance to support their anti-Hindu agenda,” he said.

Terming the high court order a “wake-up” call for the people of Tamil Nadu and the country, Goyal cautioned people against the “mindset” of the opposition parties such as the DMK, Congress and Trinamool Congress, among others.