The Sabarimala tantri (head priest) is not an employee of the State government and is not bound by any code of conduct or service rules, BJP State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has said.
Mr. Pillai told reporters here on Tuesday that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trying to defame the tantri who holds a paternal position in relation to Lord Ayyappa and even the late CPI(M) leaders such as E.M.S. Namboodiripad and A.K. Gopalan had not denigrated them, he said.
Referring to the spurt of violent incidents in Pampa and Nilackal, Mr. Pillai said neither the BJP nor the Sangh Parivar organisations had any role in it. He demanded that the government hold a judicial inquiry into the incidents so that those involved in them could be exposed.
The arrival of women activists to Sabarimala was mysterious. Despite the best efforts of the CPI(M), no women who had faith in the temple turned up, he said.
Mr. Pillai denied the charge that he called upon the policemen to revolt and said the party had violated ban orders, which was its right.
He demanded that the government convene a special session of the Assembly to pass a resolution seeking Central government intervention to end the impasse. Sabarimala being a State issue, it was for the State government to pilot a law, he said.