The Nemom police have registered a case against unknown.persons for vandalising a glass enclosure inside which a statue of renowned social reformer and Vedanta scholar Chattambi Swami was placed. The statue stood in front of a local office of the Nair Service Society (NSS), that represents the interests of the Hindu Nair community in Kerala. Police also found a wreath in the name of NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair at the spot.

The NSS has been conducting a series of prayer meetings involving members of the community against the Supreme Court verdict ending age restrictions on the entry of women at the Sabarimala temple. It has also filed a petition before the top court asking for a review of the landmark ruling passed in September this year. The NSS has stuck to the stand that the top court passed a verdict without taking into consideration the ‘age-old’ rituals of the temple and the sentiments of Hindu devotees. The stand of the Nss has clashed with that of the ruling CPM which has argued for entry of women of all ages at the temple without any kind of discrimination.

The attack at the NSS office today comes days after a similar assault on an ashram run by Swami Sandeepananda Giri near Thiruvananthapuram. The swami had taken a position in favour of the SC verdict and was commonly seen in television news debates defending his views. Two cars and a two-wheeler were set ablaze in the incident which the swami said was the work of the RSs/BJP.