Regret won’t do, file fresh affidavit in SC: NSS to Kadakampally on Sabarimala
KOTTAYAM: Turning down Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran’s statement expressing regret on issues related to women’s entry to Sabarimala during the Mandala - Makaravilakku season in 2018, the Nair Service Society has demanded the minister to show his sincerity by submitting a fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court against permitting young women in the hill shrine.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said that anyone can understand the circumstances in which the minister made such a statement.
“If the minister is sincere about his words, he should expedite steps to file a fresh affidavit before the larger bench of the Supreme Court that seeks to ban the entry of women in Sabarimala so as to protect devotees’ right to worship. The issue can’t be settled with a mere expression of regret or remorse,” he said.
Nair also pointed out that the previous LDF government in 2007 had actually filed an affidavit favouring women’s entry in Sabarimala.
“However, the UDF government that came to power later filed a fresh affidavit in February 2016 requesting court’s permission to withdraw the affidavit filed in 2007 citing the reason that the earlier affidavit was in contravention of Rule 3(B) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rule 1965. The UDF government had also stated that it was bound to protect the rituals and customs of devotees,” he said.
CHENNITHALA SEEKS CM’S APOLOGY ON SABARIMALA ISSUE
T’Puram: Following Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran’s public apology on the issue of women’s entry at Sabarimala, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala maintained that this was nothing but an attempt to deceive believers. Chennithala wondered whether Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will publicly admit that the stand taken by him on the issue was wrong and that he was saddened at the turn of events at the hill shrine.
“Will the chief minister openly admit to the fact that the stand taken by him was wrong and that he felt saddened by the decision? Even when the CPM leadership admitted that the party stand on the Sabarimala issue was wrong, the chief minister continued to maintain that there was nothing wrong. Hence, Pinarayi Vijayan should take personal responsibility for the issue and publicly apologise to believers,” said Chennithala. He also demanded to know whether the chief minister will give a guarantee that women will not be allowed entry into Sabarimala.
KADAKAMPALLY SHEDDING CROCODILE TEARS OVER SABARIMALA: SURENDRAN
Thrissur: Reacting to Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran’s public apology on the Sabarimala issue, BJP state president K Surendran said in Thrissur on Thursday that this was done with an eye on the polls. “ Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran is shedding crocodile tears over the Sabarimala issue with an eye on the coming assembly polls.
As devaswom minister, he had put devotees in trouble and left them at the mercy of police,” said K Surendran. Kadakampally Surendran had made arrangements for Maneethi Sangham and activist Rehana Fathima to reach Sabarimala, he said This was despite the fact that neither the sangham nor Fathima was an Ayyappa devotee.