The Madras high court’s Madurai bench has dismissed a plea seeking directions for the state government to declare Lord Muruga a Tamil God, saying it would damage the country’s secular and federal structure. The bench referred to the Constitution’s preamble on the country’s secular nature.

“The petitioner may have a justifiable reason to treat Lord Muruga as the Lord of the Tamil Language. It is for him to do so. However, as a state such a request is not feasible for consideration,” the bench said on February 4. It observed that Tamil literature has been enriched by works praising Hindu Gods. But “seeking to declare one God as the sole representative of the Tamil language would mean that other literary writings in praise of Gods other than Lord Muruga cannot be recognised.”

Lord Muruga is a popular deity in Tamil Nadu and is considered a Dravidian or Tamil God. The deity is worshipped mostly by backward communities. Devotees march to the deity’s abodes by tonsuring, piercing their face or body or carrying a variety of kavadi (burden).

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The court order came months after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, launched a month-long vetrivel yatra (victorious spear march) in November to Lord Muruga’s six abodes across the state. During the yatra, the BJP accused the Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of being anti-Hindu.

The vel (spear) carried by the deity is now seen during the campaigns of senior leaders of the DMK, AIADMK, and the BJP.

The state government last month declared Thaipusam, an annual festival linked to Lord Muruga, a public holiday on the BJP’s request.

Thirumurugan, the petitioner who earlier made a representation on January 7 to the state government for the declaration, moved the court saying ancient literature cited Lord Muruga identifying himself as the Tamil God. He claimed chief minister Edapaddi Palaniswami had made a similar statement.

The court noted Palaniswami’s comments were made in the context of announcing the holiday for Thaipusam. “No reliance can be made on the same, even otherwise,” said the two-judge bench of justices M M Sundresh and S Ananthi.