Left minister ‘regrets’ Sabarimala incidents

Thiruvananthapuram Kerala temple affairs minister Kadakampally Surendran on Thursday said “incidents” at the Sabarimala shrine in 2018 over the entry of women devotees pained him and shouldn’t have happened, prompting opposition parties to blame him and the ruling Left government for the violence and protests that lashed the temple three years ago

Thiruvananthapuram

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Kerala temple affairs minister Kadakampally Surendran on Thursday said “incidents” at the Sabarimala shrine in 2018 over the entry of women devotees pained him and shouldn’t have happened, prompting opposition parties to blame him and the ruling Left government for the violence and protests that lashed the temple three years ago.

Addressing mediapersons, Surendran said the final verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue would be implemented only after consultations with believers, political parties and the general public.

“The incidents that took place in Sabarimala in 2018 was something which had pained all of us. It should never have happened. It has pained everyone...it has pained me also,” Surendran said.

In 2018, the apex court overturned decades-old customs to allow women of menstruating age to enter the hill shrine, triggering massive protests and five shutdowns during the three-month long annual pilgrimage season in 2018 after the state government tried to enforce the verdict. Nearly a dozen women between 10 and 50 were stopped from entering the temple.In 2019, the top court referred the review petitions to a larger bench, which is yet to begin hearings.

“The case is before a larger bench of the Supreme Ccourt and once the final verdict comes the government will consult all,” said the minister, who is seeking re-election from Kazhakoottam constituency in the April 6 polls.

He also pointed out that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government recently withdrew all cases that were not of a serious criminal nature in connection with the Sabarimala agitation.

The issue has been raked up by the opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the state elections. The Congress has said it will bring in a law to negate the SC order, and the BJP has promised to remove government control from all shrines in Kerala.

The BJP accused Surendran of presiding over the attacks on innocent devotees, saying “he won’t be forgiven even if takes thousand dips in river Ganga”.

“Let him first withdraw the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that vitiated the whole issue. He was the temple affairs minister when innocent devotees were attacked for chanting hymns. It is nothing but cheap stunt for votes,” said BJP state president K Surendran. The BJP leader was jailed for over a month during the agitation.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala sought an apology from Vijayan. Vijayan had said the government had not erred even after the ruling CPI(M) admitted that lapses had occurred in the handling of the Sabarimala issue, he said.

“So, the chief minister himself should publicly admit his mistake and apologise to the people,” the Congress leader said. “Can the CM assure that no woman would be allowed to enter the hill shrine violating the customs, in future?” the leader of opposition.

The ruling LDF received flak from various sections after the violent protests and suffered a drubbing in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, winning just one of the 20 seats in the state.

(With agency inputs)