Quit if you can't comply with SC ruling, Pinarayi Vijayan tells tantri
Says priest's decision to shut the temple was strange.
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that if Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru cannot comply with the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of young women in the temple, he should better quit.
The chief minister told reporters that the tantri’s decision to shut the temple following the entry of two women was strange.
“If he cannot abide by the apex court verdict then it would be better for him to excuse himself from the temple duties,” he said. The tantri had stated that he cannot implement the SC verdict.
“Can he take such a stand? Can any citizen of this country take such a position against the Supreme Court? Anyone who sticks to such a stand will have to quit his position,” he said.
The Devaswom Board president had said that he had not given consent to the tantri to close the temple. The tantri had not sought his permission .
“We have made it clear that the government is constitutionally bound to comply with the SC verdict. We are with the believers and we will provide all facilities for the devotees to have a peaceful darshan at Sabarimala,” he said.
On the post-women’s wall activities, he said he had spoken to SNDP general secretary Vellapally Natesan and KPMS general secretary Punnala Sreekumar on the future course of action.
A meeting of all organisations linked to the Renaissance Protection Committee will be held soon to draw up a detailed plan to carry forward the activities for upholding he values of renaissance, he said.
Meanwhile Travancore Devaswom Board commissioner N. Vasu said that tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru’s decision to shut down the sannidhanam for purification ceremony amounts to contempt of the Supreme Court order.
However, there were differences in the board on whether an explanation has been sought from the tantri; member K.P. Sankaradas said the tantri has been asked to give an explanation while president A. Padmakumar called it baseless.
While Padmakumar took a cautious stand against the Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and priest V.N. Vasudevan Namboodiri, board member Sankaradas said that stringent action will be taken against them. On Wednesday, the dup had taken a stand to close the temple for an hour and initiated purification rituals when two women in the 40’s entered the Sabarimala.