Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan tries to intimidate devotees, says Ramesh Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came under attack on Wednesday from Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala for what he called “unsavoury remarks” against Sabarimala tantri.

Mr Chennithala described Mr Vijayan’s outburst on Tuesday at a public meeting in Pathanamthitta as an onslaught on the Ayyappa devotees across the world.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Chennithala said the tantri is the final word on the rituals and traditions of the Sabarimala temple.

“He has also been threatening the Travancore Devaswom Board officials for not obeying to his dictates. The Chief Minister's ploy was to bring in women to the shrine under the guise of making them wear the police uniform. But this was thwarted by the tantri which angered him,” he said.

The leader of the opposition said it was unfortunate that Mr Vijayan was trying to intimidate the Ayyappa devotees across the world by his vitriolic statements.

He had attacked tantri Kantararu Rajeeva-raru's stand that he would close the hill shrine and go if young women were allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum. The Chief Minister also took post shots at a member of the tantri family who was allegedly embroiled in a controversy involving moral turpitude.