Kochi: The Kerala unit of BJP has urged the Centre to intervene in the Sabarimala row and has sent letters to Union Home Ministry and the national leadership of the party in this regard.
The BJP and other Hindu outfits have been on a war path after the Kerala government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, permitting women of all age groups to enter the temple.
The BJP state unit sent the letter after the party general secretary K Surendran was arrested on Saturday while on his way to the temple. BJP workers blocked vehicles on the highways at various places in the state on Sunday to protest the police action.
Kerala govt destroying Sabarimala's uniqueness: Sreedharan Pillai
Spearheading a campaign against the Kerala government over the Sabarimala issue, BJP state unit chief P S Sreedharan Pillai Sunday alleged that the CPM-led front was making the Lord Ayyappa shrine 'a centre of dispute to destroy its uniqueness'.
Condemning the police action against devotees, he said the BJP will extend all possible assistance to the protesters to protect the hill shrine from the 'hidden agenda of atheists'.
Pillai said the BJP and Sangh Parivar will expand the ongoing agitation.
"What is going in Kerala (over Sabarimala) is a fight between devotees and atheists," he said.
"BJP workers will continue to join the devotees' protest if any woman in the menstrual age group tries to enter the temple. The devotees have so far succeeded in preventing such women from breaking the custom," he said.
The Kerala BJP chief said the government did not permit the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which administers the shrine, to file a review petition against the apex court's September 28 order.
"It was the Hindu faithful who launched an agitation against the state government. They all hit the streets against the government's move to destroy the unique nature of the temple and Lord Ayyappa faith in the name of the Supreme Court verdict. We just extended our support to them," he said.
Pillai said the saffron party will continue to support the devotees' demand that the centuries-old custom of the hill shrine be protected.
"Sabarimala is not an ordinary temple. It is unique. Over five crore devotees visit the shrine annually. But the CPM wanted to make it an ordinary temple by destroying its centuries-old custom," he said.
Pillai, who is also an advocate practising in the Kerala High Court, alleged that the CPM had always been trying to 'destroy' the Sabarimala temple.
"They want to destroy Sabarimala. But they will never succeed," he asserted.
Criticising the heavy police deployment at Sannidhanam, the BJP leader said it was done without setting up basic facilities like building toilets and ensuring drinking water for crores of devotees, who will be visiting the shrine during the two-month Mandala-Makaravilakku season that began Saturday.
(With PTI Inputs)
Read more: Latest Kerala news
