BJP rejects charge about its 'campaign' against Sabarimala

BJP in Kerala today rubbished Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran's charge that it had campaigned in neighbouring states against devotees going to Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala and that the government was taking away collections from the shrine.
"BJP demands to know from the minister what kind of campaign we carried out against the Sabarimala pilgrimage. He should come out with evidence on his charge," BJP State President Kummanom Rajasekharan told reporters.
Surendran had reportedly said yesterday that BJP carried out a campaign in neighbouring states, urging devotees not to put money in the hundi and that temple collections was being taken away by the state government and the party (CPI-M).

He had dismissed the charge that revenue collection was being diverted by the government and said the state on the other hand spent crores of Rupees to improve amenities for devotees during all the festival season.
He also said that devotees had rejected the campaign, as seen by the fact that revenue collection till Makaravillaku day on January 14 stood at Rs 255 crore, an increase of Rs 45 crore than that registered in the same period last year.
Rajasekaran sought to turn the tables on CPI(M), saying people were well aware of who carried out a campaign against the customs and traditions of temples in the state.

To Surendran's claim that crores of Rupees had been spent to improve amenities at the temple during the festival season, he demanded a white paper on the amount spent to provide drinking water, power and security in the three-month long festival season from November to January every year.