CPM govt creating war zone at Sabarimala, says Kateel

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel who had been entrusted with the task of submitting a comprehensive report on the ground situation at Sabarimala shrine by BJP national leadership has alleged that the CPM government in Kerala have created a situation of terror at the holy shrine of Ayyappa Swamy.

The findings of the study tour will be presented to BJP national president Amit Shah within two days, he informed.

On Tuesday, the BJP team comprising of Kateel, party Rajya Sabha member Muralidharan and BJP Kerala State secretary Padmakumar visited Sabarimala Sannidhanam after informing the state government. The party team observed the situation at Pampa, Nilackal and Sannidhanam during their visit.

Briefing reporters here Kateel said that the Kerala government had created a war-like zone at the temple. “The Ayyappa devotees are being subjected to police brutality at the hands of the police. Restrictions have been imposed on the time limit that a devotee can stay in the Temple premises, moreover, devotees raising slogans of ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’ are arrested,” alleged Kateel. He even denounced the heavy police presence at the temple which on Tuesday he said was five times more than the number of devotees.

The MP said that the number of devotees visiting the shrine has drastically declined in the wake of what he termed “government-sponsored terror”.

Further he said that the Kerala government had failed to provide basic amenities to the nearly six crore devotees visiting Sabarimala annually as well as to the police personnel posted here.

“The Kerala government is levelling false accusations against BJP-RSS in order to hide its own failures. I will raise the issues on the lack of facilities for Ayyappa devotees during the winter session of the Parliament being planned from December 11,” said Nalin.

The Ayyappa Swamy shrine was opened on the evening of November 16 for the two-month Mandala Puja and Makaravilakku celebrations.