Union minister KJ Alphons on Monday accused the Left government in Kerala of turning the Sabarimala temple complex into a “war zone” and not providing facilities to the devotees at the hilltop shrine, after more than 70 protesters were arrested late on Sunday.
“A situation worse than an emergency is happening here … ,” the minister of state (MoS) for tourism said while speaking to reporters.
“Why you need 15,000 policemen in Sabarimala? Devotees are not extremists. It is not a democracy. Even Stalin will be shamed. The government considers devotees sworn enemies and gave a free hand to the police to control helpless pilgrims,” Alphons said on top of the hilltop shrine.
“Why can’t RSS and BJP leaders enter Sabarimala? Why do they always cite RSS. Its workers are committed devotees than rationalist Communists?”
The Sabarimala temple, which reopened on Friday for a 62-day annual pilgrimage season, witnessed protests on Sunday night after which 72 devotees were arrested for flouting prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc).
CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Alphons’ visit will “energise troublemakers.”
“Alphons should not have visited Sabarimala when there was a law and order situation there,” Balakrishnan said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have also attacked the Kerala government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the devotees were arrested late on Sunday.
The BJPs state chief PS Sreedharan Pillai said there was a “police raj” in Sabarimala and that the pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine to Lord Ayyappa was being affected due to their highhandedness as he demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
“We will move the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Police are forcing pilgrims to go back. It is a dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the naked rights violation in Sabarimala,” Pillai said.
The leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala asked if Kerala was under Nazi ruler Adolf Hitler’s rule. The senior Congress leader accused the government of trying to “brand” Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists and thus helping RSS recruit people to its fold.
“It is police high-handedness. Innocent devotees who sought shelter at Valiya Nadappandhal (covered pathway) were also arrested. They all are not Sangh Parivar activists who reached there to create trouble. Is Kerala under the rule of Hitler?” Chennithala said while speaking to reporters in Kochi.
This is the third time that the temple has opened after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on the entry of women between the age of 10 and 50. There was a string of protests in Kerala in October when the temple opened for the first time after the Supreme Court’s September 28 order, allowing females of all age groups to enter into the shrine.
First Published: Nov 19, 2018 15:56 IST
Source: HindustanTimes