CPM, BJP pass the buck over violence at Sabarimala
Clashes were witnessed between police and devotees outside the temple on Wednesday
Bengaluru: Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday traded charges over the previous day’s violence at the Sabarimala shrine.
On Wednesday, the temple site witnessed violent clashes between the police and devotees protesting against the recent Supreme Court judgement, which allowed women of all ages to enter the temple premises.
The protestors had made a forceful attempt to block three women who had sought entry and attacked seven women journalists. Subsequently, police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the stone-pelting mob.
Both the government and the protestors have come under severe criticism over the violence.
In a series of tweets, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the BJP was behind the violence. “These attackers are motivated by casteist and feudal ideologies. Encouraging such movements will eventually lead to the banishment of backward classes from places like Sabarimala. All believers must condemn this attack on Sabarimala.”
In a press meet on Thursday, the state Devaswom (religious trusts) minister Kadakampally Surendran alleged the violence was planned and engineered by the opposition. He played an audio clip, allegedly by Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) district secretary Giji urging activists to arrive at Nilakkal, masquerading as devotees due to the heavy security, and create trouble.
However, state BJP chief P.S. Sreedharan Pillai denied the charges and said he would quit politics if the voice in the audio was proved to be that of any of his party leaders or activists. Pro-Hindu outfits, too, observed a strike across the state to protest against the police action. The local media reported stray incidents of violence during the strike.
The temple site remained tense on Thursday as protestors gathered despite the state invoking prohibitory orders, which led to further police action and the arrest of six political activists, as per local reports. The protestors kept strict vigil in the area, checking vehicles arriving at the site and blocked the entry of women.
Suhasini Raj, a Delhi-based woman journalist of New York Times, was blocked by protestors on her way to the temple to report.
The government is preparing for crucial discussions on Friday between the state-run temple board and the priests. “We do not want Sabarimala to become a war-zone, we are open for discussions on how it should be implemented,” said board president A. Padmakumar.
PTI contributed to this story.
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First Published:18 Oct 2018, 11:44 PM IST
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