Police in Madurai on Monday, 12 January 2026, arrested senior BJP leader H Raja and 11 party functionaries after allegedly “violating restrictions” and attempting to proceed to the Sthala Vruksham (sacred tree) Kallathi tree area on Thirupparankundram hill.
According to police sources, Raja had visited the Kasi Viswanathar temple located on Thirupparankundram hill for worship. He was accompanied by Madurai West district BJP president Sivalingam, district observer Rajarathinam, and party functionaries Sivaprabakaran and Harikaran, among others.
After reaching the hill, Raja asked police for permission to proceed towards the Kallathi tree to verify whether a flag allegedly installed by the dargah management had been removed. Police denied permission, citing ‘restrictions’ in the area. Following this, Raja and BJP leaders engaged in an argument with police personnel and allegedly proceeded towards the restricted area in violation of the ban.
Police later stopped the group and brought them down to the foothills, after which Raja and 11 others were arrested for violating prohibitory orders.
Speaking to reporters after his detention, Raja alleged that the situation had been unnecessarily escalated by the Madurai district collector and the city police commissioner. He claimed that the Supreme Court had permitted the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon (lamp pillar) and that the issue could have been resolved if the order had been implemented.
Raja further alleged that a flag had been installed on the Kallathi tree, which he described as a sacred tree, by the dargah management with police protection during the night. He claimed that a court had ordered the removal of the flag and alleged that the directive had not yet been implemented.
He warned that if the flag was not removed, Hindu devotees and Murugan worshippers would gather and remove it themselves.
Raja also criticised Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy over remarks related to the Deepathoon, and accused the DMK government of being hostile towards Hindu religious practices. He demanded that the Karthigai Deepam be lit on the Deepathoon before the Thai Poosam festival, failing which he said the issue would become a political matter during elections.
Source: Hindu Tamil
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