THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has said the Malabar Devaswom Board’s takeover of Sree Parthasarathy temple at Guruvayur was in the wake of a High Court order.
He flayed BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan for alleging the takeover was to grab temple property. Kadakampally said in a statement the demand for taking over the temple was first raised eight years ago. “The High Court, after a long drawn legal battle, ordered to assign the temple management with the Devaswom board,” he said.
Though the board took over its administration, previous administration committee members refused to hand over the key of lockers, presumably out of fear their malpractices would come to light.
The office-bearers later secured a stay from the HC on the takeover but eventually the court asserted the previous order in favour of the take over, he said. The minister said Kummanam’s statement the takeover was to grab temple properties was wrong since the government spends crores of rupees every year for the upkeep of templed under the board.
“Kummanam should advise those creating trouble at the temple to withdraw. Those who exhort for violence will be faced legally,” he said.