To launch stir to protect ritualistic tradition at Sabarimala

Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has said that Congress workers will stage a day-long fast in Pathanamthitta on Friday to mark the first phase of the party campaign to protect the custom and tradition at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple against the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict permitting all women to Sabarimala.

Mr. Chennithala was talking to reporters after visiting Pandalam Palace managing committee president P.G. Sasikumar Varma and other members at Pandalam on Wednesday.

Mr. Chennithala said the Congress party would stand firm by the Ayyappa devotees in their relentless effort to protect the age-old custom and practices at Sabarimala.

He said the day-long fast would be the beginning of the Congress agitation, adding that he too would take part in it.

Sibal, Singvi consulted

Mr. Chennithala said the party would explore legal options to protect the interests of scores of Ayyappa devotees across the globe. He said he had already consulted Congress leaders and eminent lawyers Manu Abhishek Singvi and Kapil Sibal in this regard. The former Travancore Devaswom Board president, Prayar Gopalakrishnan, had been entrusted with the task of taking necessary steps to file a review petition before the Supreme Court, he said.

He alleged that the anti-Sabarimala stand adopted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] had been exposed.

He said a meeting of the former office-bearers of the Travancore, Guruvayur, Kochi and Malabar Devaswom Boards would be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday to chalk out the future course of action.