RSS tried to make Sabarimala Temple a war zone: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of creating ruckus at the Sabarimala Temple and making it a "war zone" in the past few weeks.

The Sabarimala temple closed on Monday night after facing six days of tense standoff between protesters and police.

Despite SC allowing women's entry, the lord Ayyappa's temple closed with the ban still in place.

"I don't think there was a law and order failure at Sabarimala Temple," Vijayan said while addressing the media here.

"Kerala government made it clear in front of the Supreme Court that it will implement the verdict. The government arranged all facilities. Neither government nor the police tried to block the devotees. RSS workers tried to make Sabarimala Temple a war zone," he added.

Taking cognizance of the attacks on various media persons, Vijayan said, "Protesters tried to check vehicles, attacked women devotees and media persons. It was the first time in the history of Kerala that this type of attitude was shown towards the media."

On September 28, a five-member constitutional bench headed by then CJI Dipak Misra had lifted the ban on the entry of women falling in the age group of 10 to 50 years in the temple, citing the practice "irrational and arbitrary".

Earlier, women of menstruating age were barred from entering the Sabarimala Temple by its officials, who argued that the temple deity Lord Ayyappa had taken a vow of celibacy.

Meanwhile, the apex court on Tuesday agreed to hear the review petitions challenging its order allowing women of menstruating age inside the temple. The court will hear the matter on November 13.