Chennai, Dec 9 : The INDIA bloc has formally initiated steps to move an impeachment motion against Madras High Court judge G. R. Swaminathan, following his controversial order permitting the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam lamp atop a stone pillar at the disputed Thiruparankundram Hill in Tamil Nadu.

As part of this process, a memorandum seeking his removal has been submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker.

The impeachment move comes amid sharp political reactions and allegations that the judicial order could disturb communal harmony.

Judge Swaminathan had earlier directed that the traditional Karthigai Deepam be lit at the hilltop site during the festival, a directive that triggered protests and heightened tensions in and around Madurai.

Following the order, access to the hill was restricted by the police, citing law and order concerns, further escalating the controversy.

The matter remains under legal consideration, even as political opposition to the judgeâ??s decision has intensified.

Leaders from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Communist Party of India (CPI), and other parties within the INDIA alliance held multiple rounds of consultations on the implications of the order.

The issue was subsequently raised in the Parliament, where opposition MPs accused the judge of judicial overreach in a sensitive matter involving public order and religious sentiments.

A senior Tamil Nadu MP confirmed that the INDIA bloc is now preparing to introduce a formal motion in Parliament seeking the judgeâ??s removal. Under constitutional provisions, a removal motion against a High Court judge requires the signatures of at least 100 members of the Lok Sabha and 50 members of the Rajya Sabha before it can be admitted for consideration.

Sources said the DMK has already begun coordinating the collection of signatures from the INDIA bloc MPs in the Lok Sabha, marking a significant escalation of the standoff between the judiciary and the opposition alliance.

The memorandum submitted to the Speaker is seen as the first formal step in what could become a rare and politically charged impeachment process. While opposition parties maintain that the move is necessary to uphold constitutional propriety and social harmony, voices from the legal fraternity have cautioned against politicising the judiciary.

With the legal case still pending and parliamentary action gathering momentum, the controversy is expected to intensify in the days ahead.

/IANS