india

Updated: Mar 19, 2019 19:53 IST

The Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam, a trust that is campaigning to stop the entry of women aged between 10 to 50 years to the shrine in Kerala has alleged that tour operators are issuing fake identity cards to women pilgrims to help them enter the santum sanctorum of the bachelor deity.

The temple rules do not allow women of menstruating age to offer prayers to the deity.

On Tuesday, the Samajam claimed that it has noticed that pilgrims from outside Kerala are brought to Sabarimala in large numbers. “To ensure trouble-free entry to such women (10-50 who are barred from entering the temple) the tour operators are issuing fake ID cards showing their age is above 50…On a number of occasions when questioned, the women said their id was prepared and issued by tour operators,” the organisation claimed.

The trust has also decided to submit an 18-point charter of demands to all political parties and individuals who will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. The Samaj claims it will canvass to vote for the party that “openly supports the demands to Save Sabarimala”.