Withdraw cases against Ayyappa devotees over 2018 protests: SNDP's Vellappally Natesan

Alappuzha (Kerala), Sep 6 (PTI) Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) general secretary Vellappally Natesan on Saturday demanded the withdrawal of cases registered against Ayyappa devotees during the 2018 protests against the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple.

He was speaking to reporters at his residence after Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth visited him to invite him to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam scheduled to be held at Pampa on September 20.

SNDP is an outfit of the numerically strong Ezhava community in the state.

"I have raised this demand to withdraw cases against devotees earlier too. There were both offenders and innocent people against whom cases were registered," he said.

Natesan said he had written an editorial stating that the SNDP's stand was to withdraw all such cases.

"It should not be said that I have not expressed my opinion on this. It was our demand then, and we will repeat it in front of chief minister and others again," he said.

Asked about the SNDP's stand on the state government's affidavit in the Supreme Court favouring women's entry, Natesan said it was a "closed chapter." Referring to CPI(M) state secretary's recent statement that the matter was a "closed chapter", he said it implies the ruling party is no longer pressing for it.

"When the new chapter opens, women's entry will not be there," he said.

On the parallel summit being organised by the BJP and various Hindu outfits, Natesan said it was not right to oppose the Sangamam.

"What is the benefit of objecting to the summit? People have already accepted it. No party has objected to it. Even the BJP has not said they won't attend. Kummanam Rajasekharan has also said they have no objection," he pointed out.

Natesan urged political parties to maintain the sanctity of Sabarimala and not turn it into a political battlefield. "The development of Sabarimala is the duty of both devotees and politicians," he said.

He added that just like the Nair Service Society (NSS), a prominent Hindu community outfit, the SNDP also believes that the Sangamam should be conducted adhering to the traditions of Sabarimala.

On the Kerala Pulayar Mahasabha's (KPMS) demand that the state government should not withdraw from its stand on women's entry, Natesan said, "Such demands will not work out. Coming up with impractical demands is not only against the interests of Ayyappa devotees but also against the people of Kerala,".

TDB president Prasanth reiterated that there is no politics behind the Global Ayyappa Sangamam.

He said that it is organised as part of TDB's platinum jubilee with the support of the state government.

The suggestion for such a summit was made during an international visit, which was later presented to the government, he added. PTI TBA ADB