Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has blamed the Sangh Parivar for the violence in the state in recent months following the Supreme Court’s September verdict allowing women of menstruating age to enter the Sabarimala hill shrine, The New Indian Express reported on Friday. The Sangh Parivar refers to the group of Hindutva organisations that draw inspiration from the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Of the 10,561 people accused of inciting violence, 9,489 are from Sangh Parivar outfits, the chief minister told Governor P Sathasivam after submitting a report on Thursday on the law-and-order situation in the state. The governor had sought the report after protests on January 3 turned violent, leaving one person dead and scores injured.
The police have filed 2,012 cases in Sabarimala and other places in connection with the violence. Seventeen mediapersons were injured in attacks by protestors at Sabarimala and adjoining places, the report said. Fifteen people have been arrested in connection with these attacks.
The report was submitted on the day when Bindu Ammini and Kanakadurga – who, on January 2, became the first women to enter the temple – said they have gone into hiding after receiving threats. The women had entered the shrine with the help of the police after making a failed attempt on December 24. SP Manju, the president of the Kerala Dalit Mahila Federation, has also claimed to have entered the Ayyappa temple. The police and the state government have not yet confirmed her entry.
“The CM described the nature of the agitation and the action taken to curb the violent protests in different parts of the state,” the Raj Bhavan said in a statement, according to The Times of India. “The chief minister assured the governor that stringent action will be initiated against those in the violent incidents, irrespective of party affiliation.”
Meanwhile, the National Ayyappa Devotees’ Association has filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking a video recording and live telecast of proceedings of review petitions challenging its September ruling, ANI reported. A Constitution bench is set to begin hearings on January 22.
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