[Marxistindia] Joint Statement - Oppose Attempts to Whip Up Communal Tensions in Tamil Nadu

[news from the cpi(m)]

December 9, 2025

 

Joint Statement Issued by Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist
Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation,
Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc 

 

Oppose Attempts to Whip Up Communal Tensions in Tamil Nadu

 

The Left parties strongly condemn the attempts by the BJP and other Hindutva
communal forces to whip up communal tensions in Tamil Nadu by manufacturing
a controversy around the religious sites situated on Tirupparankundram Hill
in Madurai district, with a sinister eye on political gain.

 

Tirupparankundram Hill is home to three temples, a dargah, and several
ancient Jain caves. For centuries, this hill has stood as a symbol of
communal harmony and peaceful coexistence. People of different faiths have
conducted their religious practices here with mutual respect, and members of
various communities have lived together without discord.

 

However, seeking to extract political benefit in Tamil Nadu, BJP leaders, in
February this year, labelled the site as the "Ayodhya of the South," brought
in people from outside, and attempted to provoke an incident. They also used
social media to vitiate the atmosphere and sow discord.

 

Now, in December, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court - while hearing
a petition on the issue - has unfortunately ignored earlier court rulings,
historical records and the Places of Worship Act, 1991. By allowing the
petitioner to light the Karthigai Deepam atop a British-era survey pillar
adjacent to the Sikandar Badusha Dargah, the court has provided a handle to
communal forces. The single-judge bench, overruling the objections of the
state government, and the temple administration even permitted the
petitioner to seek CISF protection for this act. These pronouncements not
only disregard past judgements but also undermine the federal spirit of the
Constitution by bypassing the State Government's authority on matters of law
and order.

 

The Left parties commend the people of Madurai and Tamil Nadu for standing
in harmony against communal hate politics and for upholding the pluralistic
traditions of the state by refusing to join the protests orchestrated by
communal elements. The approach of the DMK government in the state, in
handling this issue firmly, has been exemplary. It must be criticised that
parties like the AIADMK are supporting the communal elements in this regard.

 

We also strongly condemn the targeting of Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan and the
death threats issued by Hindutva groups. The Left parties call upon all
democratic and secular-minded people of India to firmly reject the communal
politics of the Sangh Parivar, which seeks to divert public attention from
the Modi Government's ongoing assault on people's livelihoods and
constitutional rights.

 

 

M A Baby                       D Raja                            Dipankar
Bhattacharya

General Secretary            General Secretary            General Secretary

CPI (M)                           CPI                                  CPI
(M-L) Liberation

 

 

 

Manoj Bhattacharya           G Devarajan

General Secretary                   General Secretary

RSP                                        AIFB

 

 

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