Cop-Panchayat In Sabarimala? Pinarayi Vijayan Says Will Facilitate Women Entry Into Shrine At Any Cost 

Amid staunch criticism against the Communist government in Kerala for not going for a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict, the Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan is reported to have reiterated the same position, says Madhyamam.

The government has reportedly mandated that the temple board implement the SC ruling and there is no question of filing a review petition, the CM said. The government will facilitate all women who wish to enter the sanctum. Stringent action would be taken against any protests he said.

In the aftermath of the Kerala government’s refusal to file a review petition and its resolve in implementing the SC ruling, a large number of devotees including a large number of women took to the streets in Kerala, staging protests against the Communist government in the state.

However, there had been reports that if the Supreme Court order is implemented in letter and spirit, ‘Punyaham’ (temple cleansing) may have to be conducted frequently, which is supposed to be practically impossible as the temple needs to remain closed while the cleansing is done.

The crisis is unprecedented, and the Kerala Government is likely to find itself at an undesirable position as the ‘Mandala-Makaravilakku’ season starts in November and the temple usually sees a footfall of millions every year.