Kerala BJP chief prompted tantri to shut down Sabarimala | Video

Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP's repeated assertions that the party had no political intentions in Sabarimala but was only supporting the devotees now stands exposed. A video clip put out by Manorama News has the BJP state president P Sreedharan Pillai telling his audience that Sabarimala was a 'golden opportunity' for the BJP. Pillai was also heard saying that others were falling for the 'BJP's agenda'.

Perhaps the most damning was his statement that it was he who goaded the tantri to issue the threat of shutting down the Sabarimala temple if there was any violation of custom.

The leaked video has Pillai speaking at a closed-door state committee meeting of Yuva Morcha in Kozhikode on November 4.

"The tantri (Kandararu Rajeevaru) had contacted me before declaring that he would shut down the temple if there was a violation of custom. He talked to me at length about closing down the temple. He sounded a lot agitated. His major concern was whether his move would invite contempt of court, whether it would be seen as a violation of the court order. The police apparently had frightened him with such a logic. I told him that a contempt case would not stand. I also assured him that if at all a contempt case came up it would be first slapped against us. I told him that he would not be alone in this and that thousands would rally behind him," Pillai said.

The tantri was calmed, Pillai said. "I only need this word of assurance by you sir," is how Pillai said the tantri responded. "It was after this that he went public with the threat of closing down the temple. It was this decision that had put the state government and the police in a tight spot," he said and added: “I hope that the tantri will do as promised if women try to enter the temple when it opens on Monday.”

The BJP state chief also said that things had turned out just the way he had said. "Now the CPM is going to file a contempt case with me as the first acccused and the tantri as the second," he said.

Pillai also said that the Sabarimala issue was a 'golden opportunity for us'. "Sabarimala is a puzzle. We cannot expect it to move along a fixed line. It is not in our hands. But we have put forward an agenda, and others are gradually falling for it. In the end, it looks like only we and the ruling party will be the last people standing," he said.

However, Head priest Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru told reporters at the temple that he had only consulted senior tantri Kandararu Mohanararu on the matter.

Hitting out at the BJP, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at a public meeting in Kannur that the genuine devotees of Lord Ayyappa should understand the saffron party's "game plan".

Later, in a tweet he said: "The odious politics and perfidious ways of BJP stand exposed. Evidence has surfaced that BJP leaders in the state connived to create trouble in Sabarimala.

"It must be noted that their State president himself was involved in the ruse. This is highly condemnable," he said.