Lighting of deepam in Thirupparankundram can’t be stopped by anyone: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

The lighting of the deepam cannot be stopped by anyone, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday (December 31, 2025).

Addressing the media in Madurai, he said though the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had granted permission to light the lamp in Thirupparankundram, the State government was acting out of political animosity.

“Just as the Thirukkural cannot be separated from the Tamil people, the lighting of the deepam — a matter of faith for Hindus — cannot be stopped by anyone,” he said.

When asked about a section of people demanding the resignation of the High Court judge who delivered the verdict in the case, he asked if anyone could deny the existence of Rameswaram, Meenakshi Amman, or Lord Shiva. “Can you revoke the cultural ethos of Tamil language and literature? Can you remove Thirukkural from society? Those who are propagating this kind of theory are fools,” he said.

Regarding the National Education Policy (NEP), Mr. Pradhan said though the policy emphasised that the medium of instruction up to class V should be in the respective State’s mother-tongue, the States were refusing to implement it. “Since we recommended that Tamil be the medium of instruction up to fifth grade in Tamil Nadu, the State government should implement the NEP to promote the language,” he said.

Highlighting the success of Kashi Tamil Sangamam event, he noted that as the event serves as a civilisational bond between Kashi and Rameswaram, such initiatives pave the way for the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.’