BJP leader says that Venugopalan Nair was an Ayyappa devotee

BJP state general secretary M.T.Ramesh said that Venugopalan Nair was an Ayyappa devotee.

Venugopalan Nair tried to commit suicide at the protest venue of the BJP near the secretariat today in the early morning. He took the extreme step in protest against the attitude of the government on the Sabarimala issue and against government’s irresponsible approach towards the BJP, alleged Ramesh. The government has not been able to provide the necessary security to the BJP leaders and the suicide attempt is an example for it, he said.

BJP leaders including C.K.P.Padmanabahan alleged that Nair was Lord Ayyappa’s devotee and was upset because of the ongoing row over the ban on women of a particular age entering Sabarimala temple.

Venugopalan Nair, a native of Muttada, tried to commit suicide Thursday morning at 2 am. After dousing petrol in his body, he set himself ablaze and then barged into the protest venue. Police and BJP activists jointly doused the fire and rushed the seriously injured to the medical college hospital with 70% burns. In flames, he was heard chanting the ‘swami saranam’ hymns. Nair was in a critical state and was under observation in the Intense Care Unit.