Swami Sandeepananda Giri’s ashram at Kundamankadavu in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram was attacked by unidentified assailants early on Saturday morning. Two cars and a two-wheeler belonging to the ashram were also set ablaze by the assailants.
Giri, the director of School of Bhagavad Gita, had reportedly supported the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.
While Swami Sandeepananda Giri accused the BJP-RSS combine for the attack, a Sabarimala tantri family member said the monk himself set his property ablaze to implicate the saffron brigade, who in their turn named the Left party for trying to frame them for the religious fallout.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the attack.
“Physical attacks happen when you can’t deal ideologically. Will not allow anyone to take law and order in their hands. Those who are intolerant towards Swami’s activities attacked his ashram,” Vijayan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Vijayan was accompanied by Finance Minister Thomas Issac and State Devasom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
“The Sangh Parivar is trying to silence me for my position taken against them,” Giri told Vijayan, fearing for his life.
The Chief Minister who has taken a strong stand against any breach of the court’s verdict asked Director General of Police Loknath Behra to take immediate action.
The security at the ashram has been taken over by the police, Behra said, adding that a special team headed by Trivandrum City Commissioner P. Prakash would be investigating the attack and “nothing will be left to chance”.
Rahul Eashwar, a member of the Sabarimala tantri family, who had come under attack from Giri said that it’s for the police to find out who was behind the arson.
“If the police find out that I am responsible, then I should be arrested and if it’s found out that the Swami himself started the fire, he should be taken to task,” said Eashwar.
Senior Congress legislator K. Muraleedharan under whose constituency the ashram is located dismissed Eashwar’s statement. “I know what the Swami stands for and he will never do such a thing. This is nothing but a baseless allegation,” said Muraleedharan.
However, state Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson A.N. Radhakrishnan told the media that it’s the Communist Party of India-Marxist who has attacked the ashram.
Kerala witnessed 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.
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.
(With inputs from IANS)