Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and right-wing outfits, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused them of exploiting the Sabarimala issue for their "political gains" and trying to 'capture' and take control of the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
The Sangh Parivar's agenda was to create trouble by sending "kar sevaks" to take control of the temple and make the pilgrims the "scapegoats", the chief minister alleged amid the continuing protests over the issue of entry of women in menstrual age into the shrine.
Vijayan also defended the arrest of 69 people from the temple complex on Sunday night and slammed the Congress for opposing implementation of the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups to offer prayers at the hill-top shrine.
He alleged the RSS and Congress "have become one" on the Sabarimala issue.
The chief minister’s comments came on a day when BJP President Amit Shah slammed the LDF government's handling of the situation in Sabarimala as "disappointing" and accused it of treating pilgrims as "Gulag inmates" and making them spend nights next to "pig droppings".
Vijayan asserted that Sabarimala would not be allowed to be transformed into a "centre of violence" and his government "will not compromise" with those perpetrating violence in the temple complex.
"All protection would be given to the pilgrims visiting the shrine for darshan," Vijayan said.
Targeting the main opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front, he said the Congress' national leadership wanted the Supreme Court verdict to be implemented, but the state unit had a different take.
Defending the police action on Sunday night arresting 69 devotees from 'Sannidhanam' (the main temple complex), the chief minister said, "conscious efforts" were made by some people to stay back there even after the customary closing song "Harivarasanam" and despite prohibitory orders.
"Their specific plan is to gain full control of Sabarimala," Vijayan charged and named six Sangh Parivar office bearers whom he alleged posed as devotees to create problems at Sabarimala on Sunday night.
"As per the circular of the BJP, they would be sending the "karsevaks" with a hidden agenda to capture and take control of Sabarimala," Vijayan alleged.
He also pointed to statements reportedly made by BJP state chief P S Sreedharan Pillai, including that the Sabarimala issue was an "opportunity for the Sangh parivar" and the saffron party and their agitation was "not against women's entry" but against the Communist party.
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