KOZHIKODE: RSS leader Valsan Thillankeri has said youths who were arrested by the police in connection with agitation held to protect Sabarimala temple are the army of Hindu religion.“Ayyappa devotees who fought to save the Ayyappa dharma and Sabarimala temple should be treated as real warriors,” he said.H e was delivering the keynote address at the Sabarimala Viswasa Samrakshana Sangamam organised by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti here on Sunday.
“All moral and financial support should be given to those who were arrested by the state government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,” he said.He asked devotees to donate generously to get the arrested youths released. Thillankeri said the Sabarimala Karma Samiti does not want to declare war against anybody on the Sabarimala issue.
“We will move peacefully to save the temple and its customs. Door-to-door campaign will also be initiated to collect signature of devotees and make them aware about the issue,” he said. If Pinarayi Vijayan has common sense, he should resolve the Sabarimala issue considering the revenue generated through pilgrimage, as it would help to re-build Kerala, Thillankeri said.
“State treasury receives at least Rs 5,000 crore as taxes during a pilgrimage season. This will be of great help to the government’s effort to rebuild Kerala,” he added.He also criticised Hindu MLAs for not standing with devotees.
More than 1 lakh people take part in Namajapa rally
Palakkad: More than one lakh people participated in the Namajapa rally and public meeting, organised by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti, here on Sunday demanding the protection of the customs and traditions of Sabarimala. The Namajapa procession, which began from the Chinmaya Tapovan near the Victoria College, ended with a massive public meeting at the Fort Maidan in the evening. Inaugurating the public meeting, director Ali Akbar said the government’s move to divide people on religion and caste will no longer hold water in Kerala. Hindu Aikya Vedi state president Shashikala teacher, who presided over the meet, said the government’s intentions to implement it agenda was very clear. While it refused to fund Kalpathy music festival, it had no qualms in spending liberally for the temple entry proclamation programmes.