Kerala CM alleges attempts to distance party from believers

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 22 (PTI) With the split betweenCPI(M)-led LDF government and Travancore Devaswom Boardwidening over the rituals at Sabarimala temple, Kerala ChiefMinister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the controversies wereattempts to distance the Left party from believers. In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the Left governmentcould pay equal attention in improving the facilities forAyyappa devotees at Sabarimala and take initiative to help Hajpilgrims as it viewed all human beings as one irrespective ofreligion and caste barriers. "There have always been attempts to distance the Leftfrom believers. Our political rivals, who wished todisintegrate Communist party in its budding stage itself, hadunleashed campaign that Communists were going to demolishplaces of worship," Vijayan said. "However, people, including believers and atheists, andthose belonging to different religions and castes dismissedall these false propaganda and had placed their hope and faithon the party," he said. The Chief Minister’s statement comes in the wake of thecontroversy triggered over some of his suggestions like endingthe VIP queue at Sabarimala and to keep the hillock shrineopen throughout the year. TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan and Sabarimala’tantri’ (head priest) Kandaru Rajeevaru came out openlyagainst Vijayan’s suggestion. The ‘tantri’ said the decision to keep the shrine openfor darshan throughout the year could not be taken by thegovernment unilaterally. Coming out against the stand of TDB president, Devaswomminister Kadakampally Surendran described him as "communal"and said he was trying to sabotage the government’sdevelopment plans at Sabarimala. Indicating that the Left government’s effort is to provideequal treatment to all people, Vijayan said in his Facebookpost that it was with happiness that he inaugurated a Haj campin Nedumbassery airport. "The camp can accommodate 1,600 pilgrims and others at astretch," he added. Claiming that Kerala was a model for ensuring betterfacilities for Haj pilgrims, the Chief Minister also said thistime 11,000 people would go to Haj under the government quota,the highest ever so far. PTI LGK JRK RCKIS