Sabarimala temple row: Opposition leader slams Pinarayi Vijayan government for double standards

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government is showing double standards on the Sabarimala temple issue.

Chennithala told the media that when the government filed an affidavit in the high court in favour of young women’s entry for two days in Sabarimala, the Devaswom Board filed a plea in the Supreme Court, seeking more time for implementing its order.

“This showed the double standards of the government and only resulted in befooling the people,” Chennithala said.

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Chennithala claimed that the Pinarayi government wanted to keep Sabarimala issue alive as it wanted to hide its administrative failures in the aftermath of floods in the state.

“Hundred days have passed since the floods ravaged the state but no reconstructive work has started in Sabarimala. There is no proper toilet or drinking water facilities in Sabarimala. Devotees are finding it hard to get rooms to stay,” he said.

Countering chief minister’s stand that the UDF was helping BJP in the Sabarimala issue, Chennithala said it was the chief minister who acted like the “Godfather of the BJP”.

Chennithala also urged the government to immediately revoke Section 144 in Sabarimala.

Meanwhile, Sabarimala temple’s income has shown a drastic decline according to the accounts of the first five days of the ongoing Mandalam season. The temple’s revenue is generated through offerings made by the devotees, donations, and sale of Appam/Aravana (prasadam).

The netizens alleged that severe restrictions imposed by the Kerala Police on account of the Supreme Court order on young women’s entry into the shrine has affected the free flow of devotees to Sabarimala, resulting in the radical reduction in the income of the temple.
 

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