'All entry' row rocks Sabarimala as pilgrimage begins

Pathanamthitta (Kerala): The Left government in Kerala on Thursday withdrew a handbook, distributed by the Home Department among police personnel on duty at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. The withdrawal comes after one of directives of the government regarding entry of all devotees into the shrine kicked up a row in the State with the BJP alleging that the directive allegedly had a malicious motive.

The handbook comprises general instructions, saying all pilgrims are permitted to enter the temple as per the September 2018 verdict of the Supreme Court. Without directly mentioning about the entry of women at Sabarimala. The Lord Ayyappa temple opened on Wednesday on the eve of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season which this year is expected to see a 40 to 50 per cent increase in devotees in the absence of Covid-19 restrictions. The temple witnessed a huge turnout of devotees on Thursday morning, braving heavy rains.

In the wake of the allegations, State Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan, who was in Sabarimala in connection with the commencement of the annual pilgrimage from Thursday, said directives had been given to withdraw the handbook if any lapse in it was found. He clarified it was printed earlier and the directives in the handbook this year were given by mistake. "The government has no ill-motive. We have done everything with a good intention. If there are any lapses in the directives, directions will be given to withdraw it," he said.

ADGP M R Ajith Kumar also said a new handbook would be distributed soon after rectifying the mistakes.

"It is learnt that the old duty-book was copied and printed as such. That's how the error happened. Besides this, some other mistakes also came to our notice. The DGP gave directions to withdraw it and issue the new duty-book," he told reporters.

BJP State chief K Surendran said if the Left government had any particular intention behind the directive permitting entry to all pilgrims, it was better to nip it in the bud. "If the decision (of the government) is to turn Sabarimala into a war zone again and to target believers, we haven't forgotten anything from the past. The government had backtracked from those issues earlier. If you are coming up again with such a move, it will have a far-reaching consequences... that's the only thing we can say," he told reporters.