The Sabarimala protests were BJP’s agenda: Kerala BJP president

Kerala BJP president PS Sreedharan Pillai has stirred up a controversy after he allegedly said that the Sabarimala issue was a golden opportunity for the BJP.

In an audio clip which has gone viral the BJP chief can be heard saying that the head priest of the Sabarimala temple had consulted him over closure of the temple doors of if women of the age group 10-50 tried to enter the shrine.

The video is from Sreedharan’s address to the Yuva Morcha state committee in Kozhikode. The BJP leader allegedly said that the head priest was afraid of shutting the doors of the temple as he feared contempt of the court but he came to a decision after consulting the BJP chief.

“The tantric community has more faith in BJP and its state chief. When women were about to enter Sabarimala, he called me up. I had given him a word and it coincidentally came true. He was a bit upset over shutting the doors of the sanctum sanctorum fearing it would invite the contempt of the court. I was among the few he had contacted at the time.”

"Sabarimala protests were BJP's agenda. Our party’s general secretaries have worked to make it a success. When IG Sreejith escorted two women to enter Sabarimala, Yuva Morcha activists had blocked them. Now, it remains to be seen if the state government too will fall in line," Sreedharan Pillai said at the meet.

“I said he is not alone. We’d be the first to be slapped with the charges of contempt of the court if it comes. There would be tens of thousands of people to be with him. Upon our word, he took a firm stand. That decision had actually left the police and the administration baffled. We hope he’d repeat it again. Later, I became the first accused and he the second accused on charges of contempt of court… As we both figured in, his confidence increased,” he allegedly told the gathering.

After the clip went viral, Pillai said he was providing legal opinion as a political leader and legal adviser but he refused to comment on the use “golden opportunity”.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said in a tweet, “The odious politics and perfidious ways of the BJP stand exposed. Evidence has surfaced that BJP leaders in the State connived to create trouble in Sabarimala. It must be noted that their State president himself was involved in the ruse. This is highly condemnable.”

Weeks after the violent protests against the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Temple rocked Kerala, the shrine is set to open for a special puja on Monday evening. The temple town has been virtually taken over by some 2,300 Kerala Police personnel after protests marred the last pilgrimage season following the SC verdict. The pilgrims will be allowed to go up the pathway only on Monday afternoon, an official said. The temple opens its door at 5 pm on Monday and closes on Tuesday at 10 pm.