A day ahead of opening the Sabarimala temple for monthly rituals, a meeting between the Travancore Dewasom Board and the Pandalam royal family ended on an unsatisfactory note amid protests against the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups into the shrine.
Pandalam palace managing committee president PG Sasikumar Varma said the committee was upset over the Board’s unwillingness to discuss about review petition today.
The Dewasom Board has said that they can discuss about the review petition on October 19.
“We are upset that they are unwilling to discuss it today. Meeting wasn’t satisfactory. We came out of meeting because they are not ready to accept our demands,” Varma said.
The committee president further said that they have urged the Devaswom Board to file a review petition, adding that the status quo should be maintained until the matter is disposed off.
In a bid to sort out the issue amicably, the Travancore Dewasom Board had called for a meeting with Sabarimala temple head priest, Pandalam royal family and Ayyappa Sewa Sangh on Tuesday.
The temple is set to open its portals for monthly rituals tomorrow evening.
Earlier in the day, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that he will not allow anyone to take law and order into their hands.
The Kerala unit of Shiv Sena had warned of committing mass suicide if women in the age group of 10-50 are allowed to enter the temple.
Vijayan said his government will implement the Supreme Court order according to which no woman can be restricted from entering the temple.
“We will not allow anyone to take law and order in their hands. The government will ensure facilities to devotees to go to Sabarimala Temple and offer prayers,” he said.
Read | Sabarimala row: Kerala CM says won’t allow anyone to disrupt law-order
Kerala has been witnessing a series of agitations by various devotee groups and Hindu outfits against the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s decision to implement the apex court order without going for any review petition.
Besides BJP, the opposition Congress was also against the government’s decision not to go for review and extended support to the devotee’s stir.
The Supreme Court, last month, had struck down a rule that disallowed girls and women in the age group of 10-50 years from entering the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.