KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to file an affidavit stating whether the government issued any directive with regard to the preparedness in Sabarimala for three-month-long annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season starting November 17.
The court issued the order on the petition filed by TR Ramesh of Thiruvananthapuram seeking a directive to Travancore Devaswom Board not to implement any directives from the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan or the Devaswom Minister with regard to religious matters, entry of pilgrims and other related matters at the Sabarimala shrine. He also sought to declare if any kind of interference by the government in the administration of the Board was illegal.
The petitioner had alleged that the CM and Minister were interfering in the matters of the shrine.
"The Board must be left free to decide on all matters related to Sabarimala. Even in filing a review petition or submitting a report to the Supreme Court with regard to the entry of women, the Board cannot be guided or dictated by the Chief Minister or any minister. The government has reportedly decided to deploy 5000 policemen at Sannidhanam during the upcoming festival season and also to restrict the entry of pilgrims," said the petitioner.
The court asked whether there was any directive issued by the state with regard to Sabarimala pilgrimage, and the state submitted that the petitioner did not produce any order of the government along with the writ petition. The court said that the government should not conceal any information from the court and inform it whether there was any directive to the Board. The court posted the next hearing of the case to next Monday.