The Madras High Court has made sensational remarks regarding the prevalence of VIP culture and premium paid darshans at places of worship, asserting that everyone is absolutely equal before God. A division bench comprising Justice G.R. Swaminathan and Justice V. Lakshminarayanan observed that God alone holds the status of a definitive VIP, and under no circumstances does He wait for anyone. The court emphasized that ministers, MLAs, and public representatives cannot expect exclusive access or demand that temples modify operational hours to fit their schedules, as such practices directly undermine spiritual and civic equality.
The division bench made these strong observations while hearing a public interest litigation filed by P. Chockalingam, President of the North Tamil Nadu division of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The petitioner argued that Sanatana Dharma explicitly treats all individuals equally without discriminating based on caste, social standing, or material wealth. He further pointed out that neither the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Act nor any ancient Hindu scriptures contain a single word authorizing specialized or premium paid entry systems based on high fees, calling the current commercial models a modern invention designed to exploit common devotees.
Agreeing with the core arguments, the High Court emphasized that keeping common citizens waiting in queues for prolonged hours to clear space for political dignitaries is fundamentally unconstitutional. The bench noted that imposing massive fees for exclusive access violates the Right to Equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. Furthermore, looking into a specific grievance where the Thiruparankundram Subramanya Swamy temple doors were allegedly kept open past closing hours on May 15 for a minister’s visit, the Court accepted a factual report from Additional Advocate General (AAG) V.V. Balasubramanian and granted time to file a formal counter. The case has been adjourned for six weeks, with the Tamil Nadu government directed to clarify its official stance on paid darshans.
