‘Bring tanthri’s act to SC’s notice’

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has asked the government to bring the act of contempt of court committed by Sabarimala tanthri to the notice of the Supreme Court.
“Tanthri closed down the temple for purification ritual just because two women exercised their right guaranteed by the Constitution and upheld by the apex court,” said Balakrishnan.

CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said whoever is responsible for closing the temple owed an answer to the Supreme Court. “The temple was closed by tanthri and chief priest without discussing with the Travancore devaswom board. How can there be a purification ritual against an SC verdict?,” Kanam told reporters here. It is learnt that two women petitioners from Kerala who have already approached the SC regarding the hurdles posed by different groups in implementing the SC order on women entry to Sabarimala will mention the case again before the bench of chief justice Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday.

Balakrishnan told reporters in Kochi that the LDF government had already made it clear that it wouldn’t create a law-and-order issue to let women enter the temple.

“But, if a woman devotee wants to worship there, the government has the responsibility to provide protection. The government has only done that,” he said. He also said that there was no relation between the Women’s Wall campaign held on Monday and the entry of women to temple.

Quoting the SC verdict, Kodiyeri said fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution are above all rituals.

“There is no question of purification rituals. What can now be done is to provide facilities for women devotees to worship at the temple. Instead of doing that, the tanthri is creating provocation by closing temple,” he said.

The tanthri, TDB and the government have the responsibility to implement the SC order. “Unfortunately, someone who is responsible to implement the SC order is violating it”, he said.