The Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) should withdraw its earlier position in the Supreme Court favouring women's access to Sabarimala temple. The demand comes ahead of a planned international Ayyappa devotees' conference.
State BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Sunday that the board's earlier actions, which were taken as per directions of the Pinarayi Vijayan state government, had undermined the confidence of Ayyappa devotees.
"The board should not assume that worshippers have forgotten the stance it took on February 6, 2019, during the hearing of review petitions in the apex court. It must publicly retract the position that was against Ayyappa faith and temple traditions," he said. According to Chandrasekhar, the state government and TDB's submission to the court had deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees.
He insisted that if the state government and TDB are serious about organising the convention, they must officially inform the court of a revised position and issue a public clarification. The BJP leader noted that organisations such as the Nair Service Society (NSS) had opposed the board’s earlier stance and that their concerns must be addressed.
Chandrasekhar welcomed the NSS's position that it would only support the convention if temple traditions and sanctity were preserved. He also endorsed their call for a non-political organising committee comprising only true Ayyappa devotees. He added that the assertion of the social reform organisation, Shree Narayan Guru Dharma Paripalana, that women’s entry is not acceptable to devotees should also be respected, along with the concerns of other Hindu organisations.
The BJP leader also criticised the state for failing to withdraw cases filed against thousands of devotees who had protested against women's entry. He accused the CPI-M of politicising the convention and condemned the Kerala government's attempt to invite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, calling it an “anti-Sanatan move” that was thwarted by strong opposition from the BJP. Chandrasekhar warned that if anyone attempted to use the convention for political gain, the wider Ayyappa community would rise in protest.
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