Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan addressed the controversy surrounding the ban on RSS activities within temple premises. He clarified that the ban’s purpose was to maintain a peaceful atmosphere at these sacred sites rather than to exclude anyone. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had recently issued a circular, causing this debate.
Radhakrishnan emphasized that the circular did not prevent anyone from entering temples and deemed the ensuing controversy unwarranted. This move had triggered reactions in right-wing social media circles, claiming that it aimed to distance the Sangh Parivar from Kerala’s temples managed by the TDB.
He stated, “Places of worship should always be the centres of peace,” emphasizing the need for a serene environment for all devotees to pray. The ban didn’t entail restricting entry to the temples, according to the minister, who urged everyone to refrain from further controversies.
The circular issued by the Devaswom Commissioner not only prohibited RSS activities but also ‘namajapa protests’ within temple premises. It explicitly forbade any activities by organizations with “extreme ideologies” on temple properties without TDB permission.
The circular, dated October 20, directed the Devaswom Vigilance Wing to conduct surprise inspections to identify any RSS or similar outfit conducting ‘shakhas,’ mass drills, or arms training on temple grounds. It required temple employees and priests to report the presence and activities of such groups to TDB management, with disciplinary action threatened for non-compliance.
Additionally, the circular specified that no photos, flags, or flex boards unrelated to the temples should be displayed on their premises, with violations considered as contravening a high court verdict on the matter.
This controversy emerged after the Kerala High Court ruled that no mass drills or weapons training should take place on the premises of the Sarkara Devi Temple, under TDB management. This decision followed a plea by two devotees seeking to prevent “illegal use and unauthorised occupancy” of the temple grounds by the RSS and its members.
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