Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 22: Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament (MP) and co-in charge of BJP affairs in Kerala, Nalin Kumar Kateel, accused Kerala government of failing to provide any basic amenities to devotees arriving at Sabarimala for pilgrimage. "At the same time, the state government there has been blocking entry of devotees through the police personnel deployed there. It has created a situation of emergency there," he said.

He was speaking to media persons in the city on Wednesday November 21 after returning from Sabarimala visit which he had undertaken on Tuesday to find for himself the prevailing situation there. He said that details of the findings of his study on the issue of Sabarimala would be brought to the attention of the central government during the next Lok Sabha session. 

Nalin noted that it is but natural for the pilgrims who walk to Sabarimala from Pampa during this pilgrimage to take several hours. But the government has stipulated that the pilgrims should come back after paying obeisance to the deity within six hours. This is creating problems for the devotees. The government has been undermining the religious rights of the people by fixing time limit. This has made it clear that the days of Pinarayi’s power are numbered, he felt.

"If more than four devotees visit this centre of pilgrimage together, they get arrested. As a result, Sabarimala which witnesses influx of lacs of Ayyappa devotees during this season has only a small number of pilgrims now. Kerala government has miserably failed in providing basic facilities to everyone including pilgrims, police, staff of the bus and others," he complained.

Nalin said that facilities like toilets and drainage at Sabarimala are woefully short in comparison to actual needs. "As such, there is risk of epidemic spreading there. No basic facilities have been provided including the dining hall at the temple. There is shortage of rooms. Although the central government allotted Rs 100 crore to Kerala government to provide facilities, the state government has spent only Rs 18 crore," he stated.

He said that the situation has come to such a pass that those who hail the Lord by chanting 'Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa' might get arrested."BJP leader, Surendran, and several others have been jailed exactly for this reason. During my study tour too, the police tried to arrest people who raised this slogan in my presence. After I protested, they relented. This kind of situation had not arisen even during the British era," he explained.