The government forced Travancore Devaswom Board to to repeal its move to file a review petition, says Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Ramesh Chennithala.

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly Ramesh Chennithala has accused the State government of showing undue haste in implementing the Supreme Court verdict on entry of women in the temple of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala. He said the Congress “would lend all support to believers whose sentiments have been bruised by the verdict.”

After forcing the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to repeal its move to file a review petition, the government was trying to unilaterally enforce the verdict, he said.

‘Nurture customs’

Briefing reporters on the decisions taken at a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram of Congress leaders who had served as presidents and members of Devaswoms on Thursday, Mr. Chennithala said the Congress was keen on nurturing the customs and practices of all religions and deemed it as the foundation of a pluralistic society.

This was true in the case of Sabarimala, too, he said.

The government had shown undue haste in implementing the verdict without considering the popular sentiment, and though the order lifted the restrictions on the entry of women of all ages into the temple, they had registered their resentment, he said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s stance that the government had no option but to implement the verdict was farcical, Mr. Chennithala said, adding that the government had not taken a similar stance in many other verdicts.

'Tantri' family to seek review of verdict

The ''tantri'' (head priest) family has decided to seek a review of the verdict. It will seek the removal of portions of the verdict that they believe impinge on the customs and practices at Sabarimala.

The family would team up with the Pandalam palace authorities to file a review petition, members of the family and the palace said on Thursday.