The monastery of spiritual guru Sandeepanandagiri at Kundamankadavu in Thiruvananthapuram was set on fire in the wee hours of Saturday. The attackers also set two cars and a two-wheeler on fire. The unidentified miscreants also placed a wreath in front of the ashram. Sandeepanandagiri had been favouring the entry of women of child-bearing age to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.
He told Onmanorama that the attack was a clear attempt by right-wing extremists to eliminate him.
“You just come and have a look at the condition of our Ashram. It was set on fire from all sides, when the residents were asleep. They also placed a wreath on which the name they use to often defame me was written. It is doubtlessly an attempt to murder me,” he said.
In an earlier response to Manorama News, he had alleged that BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai, Thazhmon family and Sangh Pariwar were responsible for the attack.
“They are propagating outright lies among the believers and prompting them to unleash riots all across the state,” he said.
Defamation campaign
Elaborating on the slander campaign unleashed against right-wing extremists, Sandeepanandagiri said defaming opinion leaders was not a new tactic.
“They (right-wing extremists) called Gandhi as Mohammed Gandhi. Sahodaran Ayyappan was called 'Pulayan Ayyappan.' All these are attempts to denigrate leaders by tagging religious and caste-based identities with their names. I am not surprised,” he said.
Some hardline elements often dub Sandeepanandagiri as 'PK Shibu', which they allege is his name from 'Poorvashram' or his birth identity. The neighbourhood and premises of his Ashram are filled with posters and hoardings displaying the name PK Shibu under his photograph.
Sandeepanandagiri said his real name was Thulaseedas, though he doesn't find anything wrong or insulting about calling him PK Shibu.
“Just search PK Shibu on Google and you will find famous doctors and dignitaries in that name. Shibu isn't an inferior name. No name is inferior for that matter. My real name is Thulaseedas, which you may verify at my native place or by asking to any of my classmates,” he said.
Liberal stances to continue
Sandeepanandagiri is known for his liberal outlook on Hinduism. His sarcastic notes on the religious beliefs had been widely criticized by right-wing outfits.
Sandeepanandagiri said these outfits cannot expect to clamp down on his views by unleashing henious acts.
He vowed to fearlessly propagate his liberal stances and views on Hinduism regardless of probable attacks he would to face in future.
“Hinduism has space for liberal view-points. Do not think that you can shut me up by showing fire and spilling blood. I will continue to propagate my views as long as I am sure about them,” he said.
He alleged that Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Eswar also had a part in the plans to shatter the state's religious harmony.
“The grandson of Thazhmon family is also responsible for such attacks. I wonder to which of his plans do all these belong – A, B or C,” Sandeepanandagiri said sarcastically, referring to the recent revelation by Rahul Eswar that spilling blood inside temple premises was his Plan B to shut down the Sabarimala shrine in case any woman of child-breeding age enters it. He later retracted his statement, but was booked under non-bailable sections for his comment.
Read more: Rahul Easwar booked under non-bailable sections for 'spilling blood' remark
