New Delhi: As violent protests against the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala continue, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the decision to allow women of all ages to enter the shrine has divided society and led to unrest.
The nature and premise of the tradition, he said, that has been accepted by society and continuously followed for centuries were not taken into consideration. Had the Supreme Court, he added, passed a verdict keeping the origins of tradition in mind, it would have been acceptable.
“But now look. Despite having a good intention of passing that verdict, it has led to protests. The legal verdict has given rise to unrest, turmoil and divisiveness in the society in place of peace, stability and equality. The questions such as why only the Hindu society experiences such repeated and brazen onslaughts on its symbols of faith, obviously rise in the public mind," he said.
The version of heads of religious denominations and faith of crores of devotees was not taken into account, said Bhagwat, nor was the plea by a large section of women, who follow this tradition, was heard.
He further said while matters of jurisprudence are to be only dealt by courts and nobody else, matters of religion are not to be dealt with by the courts.
“Decisions on religious matters should be taken in consideration with those who know the religion, like the head priests. They know the changes that need to be brought about and any decision on it needs to be made by them and nobody else," Bhagwat said.
Soon after Bhagwat made his remarks, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Twitter and slammed the RSS and Sangh Parivar. Calling Sabarimala unique as it allows people of all religions, Pinarayi said RSS and Sangh Parivar “have always been intolerant of this fact."
“They have made many attempts to erase this distinction of Sabarimala. The role they played in eliminating the rituals performed at Sabarimala by Adivasi-Malayaran community is common knowledge. The present troubles must be seen in this light. The RSS backed attackers are obstructing believers and spreading terror," he further said.
Pinarayi further tweeted that all believers must condemn the attack on Sabarimala as the “attackers were motivated by casteist and feudal ideologies." Encouraging such movements, he added, will eventually lead to banishment of backward classes from places like Sabarimala.
Tensions are high in and around Sabarimala as a 24-hour bandh was called by Pravin Togadia’s Antharashtriya Hindu Parishad and Sabarimala Samrakshana Samithi, an outfit of devotees, against entry of women into the temple. Buses run by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have been pelted with stones in Kozikode, Cherthala and Aatingal. Police have also promulgated section 144 of CrPc in four places including Pamba, Sannidhanam to check any kind of protest and violence.
The devotees’ group called the hartal to protest the Wednesday 'police lathicharge' against Lord Ayyappa devotees at Nilakkal, the base camp of Lord Ayappa shrine in Sabarimala. The BJP and its NDA partners have extended their support to the hartal call. The Congress said it would not join the strike but hold protest demonstrations across the state on Thursday.
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