Allahabad: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has accused the Kerala government of oppressing devotees of Lord Ayyappa by exceeding the judicial mandate on the Sabarimala temple.
This has led the Hindu society deeply disturbed and agitated, he said at the Vishva Hindu Parishad's 'dharm sansad' (religious council) here.
"We support this agitation of the Hindu society as the petitioners to the judiciary were not Lord Ayyappa's devotees," he said at the meeting, presided by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Sarswati.
"There are many moves afoot to divide the Hindu society. Accordingly, it's the need of the hour to reunite the segmented Hindus through a religious renaissance," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said.
The meet, which began Thursday, was also addressed by Yoga guru Ramdev, who called for a common civil code.
The VHP's religious council was also addressed by Swami Parmanand, who likened the ongoing Sabarimala agitation in Kerala to that over building a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
He alleged that for the last few years a "mischievous effort" is consistently being made to undermine and destroy the Hindu traditions and faith.
The seer said the agitation to secure entry of women of any age in the Sabarimala temple is a fresh example of that 'mischievous effort'.
He said the temple has also been made a centre of stir in the past either on the pretext of environmental degradation or in the name of modernity and gender empowerment.
He said the country's seers welcome the struggle of Lord Ayyappa's devotees, specially the Hindu women, Arya Samaj, Peoples for Dharma and other Hindu organisations which are spearheading it.
Sabarimala and its nearby areas witnessed widespread protests after the Supreme Court allowed women of all age groups to enter the hill shrine.
Read more: Latest Kerala news
