Chennai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered the management of the Hazrat Sultan Sikandar Badusha Dargah to limit the upcoming Santhanakoodu Urus festival to a maximum of 50 participants.

During court proceedings, the State government indicated it would only authorise the Santhanakoodu festival on Jan. 6, maintaining the same restrictive conditions implemented in 2023. Officials clarified that the Kandhoori Mahautsav would not be permitted, and strict bans are in place regarding animal sacrifice, the transport of meat, and the preparation of non-vegetarian food. The case was adjourned until Jan. 20 for the filing of a counter-affidavit.

The ruling follows a period of intense communal friction at the Thirupparankundram hill site. Last month, local residents protested a flag-hoisting ceremony at the dargah, demanding that authorities comply with a court mandate to light the Karthigai Deepam lamp at a pillar near the shrine during the Tamil month of Karthigai.

The controversy previously escalated into a physical confrontation between communities after the High Court directed the hilltop lamp to be lit. The state government challenged that directive, citing significant law-and-order risks. The tension turned tragic when a 40-year-old man died by self-immolation near a Madurai police booth to protest the government's failure to light the lamp despite the judicial order.

The death sparked political fallout, with BJP leader K. Annamalai condemning the DMK administration on social media. He alleged the government's "anti-Hindu" stance and "its refusal to allow devotees to light the sacred Karthigai Deepam on the Deepa Thoon atop the Thiruparangundram Hill, tragically ended his life today in Madurai by self-immolation." Annamalai also called for calm among devotees.

In a counter-move, the DMK and its allies in the INDIA bloc have initiated a motion in the Lok Sabha to impeach Justice G.R. Swaminathan, the judge who authored the order to light the Deepam. More than 100 MPs submitted a formal letter to Speaker Om Birla, accusing the jurist of bias.

With inputs from ANI