THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP on Sunday expressed its willingness to participate in the highly anticipated global Ayyappa Sangamam.
However, it demanded that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) withdraw its stand taken in the Supreme Court over five years ago, which supported women’s entry into Sabarimala.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday said the TDB must publicly retract its position before convening the proposed gathering of Ayyappa devotees.
Meanwhile, with the backing of the influential NSS and SNDP Yogam for the event, the state government sought to neutralise the Sangh Parivar’s opposition to the meet. They asserted that those who call for “violation of customs and practices” in Sabarimala will not be allowed entry at the conclave.
The Sangamam scheduled to be organised by the TDB as part of its 75th anniversary, with the support of Kerala government, aims to make the temple a global pilgrimage centre, Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan said.
“Union Ministers Aswini Vaishnav and Nitin Gadkari are invited for the event, and we do not mind making one of them the chief guest. The government has no intention to politicise the meet. No political leader, other than ministers and people’s representatives, will be invited,” Vasavan said.
On Sunday, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan extended support to the proposed meet, while reiterating the organisation’s opposition to the entry of young women in Sabarimala and demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against devotees during the earlier protests.
NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair had on Saturday welcomed the meet but emphasised that it should remain free from political influence.