Sabarimala crisis created by Kerala Chief Minister, says Sabarimala Action Council

New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) The All India Sabarimala Action Council on Tuesday said the current law and order situation in Kerala is a direct result of actions taken by the 'Marxist' Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and demanded his resignation and an apology "for his actions against the Hindus and Sabarimala devotees in particular".

"Right from the beginning of the Sabarimala issue, the Marxist party and the Chief Minister have been taking a stand to politicize the issues for their benefit. Their policy has been to destabilize the Hindu religious practices, temples and such other spiritual institutions so that Hindus are demoralized and are divided," Swami Chidananda Puri said while addressing the media here.

He added the steps taken by Vijayan's Communist Party of India are just to appease a section of minority communities so as to get their political support.

"The Marxist party for quite some time has been taking a very soft stand towards Muslim extremism due to which Kerala has already become a breeding ground for extremists, both domestic and international. Islamic State terrorists have established deep roots in Kerala and reports on massive recruitment into the IS are plenty," Puri said.

He asserted the Kerala Chief Minister is determined to implement the Supreme court order, which allows menstruating women's entry in the temple, even after the apex court's decision to review its order on January 22.

"No women devotee, in the age group of 10 to 50, has ever attempted to enter the Sabarimala temple after the Supreme Court judgement of September 28, 2018. But the Kerala Chief Minister is determined to implement the order, which even the Supreme court has decided to review on January 22, 2019 in an open court, in order to achieve his political intentions, irrespective of the devotees' beliefs," he said. 

Puri said the Sabarimala devotees are not against any women or feminist movement and that they have only put in place the restriction due to the age-old practice of the Sabarimala temple. 

"The limited restriction on the entry of women from 10 to 50 years, in the Sabarimala Temple, is a matter of religion and religious faith and practice, and the fundamental principles underlying the 'prathishtha' of the Sabarimala Temple, as well as the custom and usage of worship of the deity there, Lord Ayyappa," he said.

The Sabarimala Action Council members claimed that due to the current law and order situation and "the violence propagated jointly by the Marxists and the Muslim fundamentalists", the life of ordinary people have been badly affected and the devotees are under severe mental stress. 

"Two devotees committed suicide, one was killed in suspicious circumstances and another person was murdered by the Marxist party workers. Thousands of devotees were arrested and still arrests are going on. Many are still under police and judicial custody. Life of Hindus and especially that of crores of Ayyappa devotees are badly affected and law and order situation is at its lowest. 

"The violence propagated jointly by the Marxists and the Muslim fundamentalists and extremists along with the severe atrocities inflicted by the state police, the Hindus in Kerala are in a state of fright and insecurity," it said. 

The council further demanded the immediate intervention of the Union Government so that the situation does not go out of hand and urged the government to establish the rights of Sabarimala devotees "to save them from Police raj and Marxist led government".