On day when Kerala witnessed widespread protests and violence during the day-long shutdown called by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said the Centre will have to bring an ordinance if the Supreme Court upholds its earlier verdict.
The dawn-to-dusk hartal was called to protest against the entry of two women, aged below 50, into the famous hill shrine where women of menstrual age have been traditionally barred. A constitution bench of the Supreme Court had on September 28 struck down this custom, citing gender equality, but later admitted a batch of review petitions, which it will hear in open court on January 22.
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RSS state president P.E.B. Menon said the Centre will be forced to bring an ordinance if the situation worsens and the Supreme Court upholds its earlier verdict.
On early Wednesday, two women—Kanakadurga and Bindu—reached Sannidhanam (temple complex) with police protection to become the first women to set foot at the hill shrine after the apex court verdict.
Menon blamed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for all problems in the hill shrine. It was the obduracy of the chief minister that the police secretly brought women to the temple, he said.
For the past three months, the state has been witnessing protests and demonstrations, led by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi, the Bharatiya Janata Party and other right-wing organisations, who have accused the CPI(M)-led government of neglecting age-old customs and trying to implement the apex court order hastily.
Menon said the RSS would provide all support to the Sabarimala Karma Samithi in their campaign to protect customs at Sabarimala.
