Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) withdraw its earlier stand in the Supreme Court supporting women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple, ahead of the proposed global Ayyappa devotees’ convention.

State BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a statement said on Sunday that the board’s past actions, carried out under the directions of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government, betrayed the trust of Ayyappa devotees.

“The board should not assume that worshippers have forgotten the stance it took on February 6, 2019, during the hearing of review petitions in the apex court. It must publicly retract the position that was against Ayyappa faith and temple traditions,” he added.

According to the State BJP President, the state government and the TDB’s submission before the court hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees.

If the state government and TDB are sincere in organising the devotees’ convention, they should officially inform the court of a revised stand and issue a public clarification.

BJP leader Chandrasekhar said that organisations such as the Nair Service Society (NSS) had opposed the board’s earlier position, and their concerns must be addressed.

He welcomed the NSS’s stand that the convention could be supported only if temple traditions and sanctity were preserved, and emphasised their call for a non-political organising committee made up solely of true Ayyappa devotees.

Social reform organisation — Shree Narayan Guru Dharma Paripalana’s assertion that women’s entry is not acceptable to devotees should also be respected, along with the concerns of other Hindu organisations, he added.

The BJP leader also criticised the state for failing to withdraw cases filed against thousands of devotees, who had protested against women’s entry.

He accused the CPI-M of politicising the convention, citing remarks by party state secretary M.V. Govindan on participation, and condemned the Kerala government’s attempt to invite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, calling it an “anti-Sanatan move” that was defeated by strong opposition from the BJP.

BJP leader Chandrasekhar warned that if anyone attempted to use the devotees’ convention for political gain, the larger Ayyappa community would rise in unison against it.

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