Kerala should contest SC verdict: Tamilisai

“The Kerala government should file a review petition in the Supreme Court as the order permitting entry of women into the temple is hurting the sentiments of Ayyappa devotees and Hindus,” BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters here on Wednesday.

“The Kerala government is playing politics. Their anti-Hindu stand is hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. The constitution empowers the people to enjoy their religious sentiments and practices,” Tamilisai said, adding that there should not be any court intrusion into matters that deal with religious practices.

Commenting on the issue, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan said that there should not be any attempt that harms the beliefs of Hindus and Ayyappa devotees. “These are age-old religious practices and they should not be distorted,” Radhakrishnan told reporters reacting to the SC order permitting menstruating women to enter Sabarimala.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister for Culture and Tamil Development Mafoi Pandiarajan opined that it was unfair to change the traditional religious practices of the Ayyappa temple. “In my opinion, the temple should be allowed to continue its agama rules and age-old practices,” he told reporters.