Coimbatore: Sabarimala conflict is between believers and atheists, says Raja

Coimbatore: BJP national secretary H. Raja on Monday said the dispute over entry of women of all age groups into Sabarimala temple was between believers and atheists. The tussle was not between Hindus and people of other faiths, he insisted.

The bar on entry of women in 10-50 age group was a tradition followed only in the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala in Kerala and not applicable to other Ayyappa shrines, he told reporters here.

Those who attempted to enter the Sabarimala temple were not devotees, he claimed referring to the recent stand-off witnessed at the shrine when devotees prevented some women in the 10-50 age group from entering it.

Alleging that the Kerala government was trying to make Sabarimala a tourist centre under the pretext of gender equality, Raja accused the LDF administration of not implementing last year’s Supreme Court order on a church dispute in the state. Claiming that BJP was ready to face elections at any time, he said it would be better to hold the Lok Sabha elections and by-polls to assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu together so that bribing of voters could be prevented.