Thiruvanathapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday laid out the government’s strategy for the coming Sabarimala pilgrim season, saying Sanni-dhanam will be sanitised of criminals who try to thwart the implementation of the Supreme Court order.
The Chief Minister told reporters here that the government will not allow criminals to assemble at Sanni-dhanam indicating that the police would deal sternly with anti-socials coming in the garb of devotees during the forthcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku season.
The police have gauged the contours of direct action on the hilly terrain to enforce the order, affording pilgrims, both men and women, undeterred worship even while the cops keep out troublemakers.
“None should have the illusion that they can turn Sabarmiala into a hotbed of rioters. We will not allow criminals to camp on the temple premises. They will be thrown out. It is the responsibility of the government to provide safe passage to the devotees. It will discharge the duty come what may,” he said.
He said the sole owner of Sabarimala temple is the Travancore Devaswom Board and dismissed all other claims as false. “None else has the right over the temple. This should be understood by everyone. Some people are claiming that they have powers over the temple citing 1949 covenant,” he said.
The 1949 covenant was signed by the then kings of Travancore and Kochi and V.P. Menon, who was the representative of the central government, he said.
