RSS turned Sabarimala into a war zone: Kerala CM Vijayan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of turning the Sabarimala temple into a “war zone” and reiterated that his government will implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing women of all ages to worship at the shrine in the next pilgrimage season starting in November.
“Some Sangh criminals had entered Sabarimala and surrounding areas even before the monthly pilgrimage began and they let loose violence. There was a conspiracy to turn the temple into a war zone. Besides genuine pilgrims, they also attacked media persons,” Vijayan said.
The temple, which opened its doors for the pilgrims for the first time on October 18 after the apex court verdict last month, witnessed large-scale violence and protestors blocked at least 12 women who came to pray there. The apex court on September 28 had lifted the ban on women of menstruating age from entering the temple but a section of devotees have opposed the move.
“The RSS is responsible for the violence. It was a preplanned and deliberate attempt to stoke the communal fire,” Vijayan said adding that some leaders of the Congress are joining hands with the RSS and it was a “dangerous trend”.
Vijayan also criticised the tantri, supreme priest at the Sabarimala, Kandararu Rajeevaru, who had said he would lock the temple if women were allowed inside the shrine. He said what the priest did was against the Supreme Court verdict. “He can’t make such threats,” Vijayan said adding the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) was the final authority on the temple.
At least 12 women, including journalists and activists, tried to trek to the temple nestled in the forests of Western Ghats in the last five days. But they were turned away by protesters.
The BJP attacked the CM and said he was insulting devotees who contained a communal flare-up after the police and government tried to take a controversial Muslim activist to the temple. “He is lamenting like a loser. His adamant posture led to these incidents. It is not proper to insult devotees and tantri again,” said BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai.
Pandalam Royal family member Sasi Kumar Varma said even though the government used all its machinery and tried to bring women, barred by tradition, to the shrine, they could not succeed.
Meanwhile, the TDB commissioner submitted a report in Kerala High Court saying situation in Sabarimala was grim and if it continued like this during the three-month pilgrimage season starting mid-November, it will end up in a major disaster.