Kerala temples must open doors for all, even non-Hindus, says RSS leader

Thiruvananthapuram: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has often been accused of trying to polarise the country on religious lines, but on Tuesday, RSS leader Indresh Kumar pitched for communal harmony and said that people of all faiths must be allowed to enter temples in Kerala.

According to a report in The NewsMinute, Kumar, who is a member of the RSS National Executive Committee, said that Hindu temples in the state must welcome people from all walks of life, regardless of their religion.

Kumar was on a visit to Thiruvananthapuram when he made the statements.

"Many notice boards are exhibited in several temples in Kerala restricting entry of non-Hindus in temples even managed by various Devaswom Boards," the leader said and urged for the practice to be stopped.

He argued that discriminating entry to a devotee, just because he or she was not a Hindu, was against the spirit of 'Sanatana Dharma.'

The leader explained the concept of 'Sanatana Dharma' and said that it espoused the belief that everybody was equal in the eyes of the almighty and blocking one’s entry to a place of worship was stopping one from understanding their culture and tradition.

Kumar echoed the famous belief that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. However, in contradiction to the statement, he also went on to say that Hinduism was the “mother of all religions."