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Kannur, Oct 20 (IANS) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its allies of trying to turn the Sabarimala temple into a major political attraction by selectively denying key elements of its inclusive legend.
Speaking after inaugurating the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kannur District Committee office, the Chief Minister pointed out that in traditional Sabarimala lore, Vavar, a Muslim warrior and devotee, holds an important place along with Lord Ayyappa.
Vijayan said, “This inclusive tradition is something that the RSS refuses to accept. They are trying to make Sabarimala a site of division and controversy.”
He alleged that the Sangh Parivar is uncomfortable with the presence of a Muslim person in the Ayyappa story.
“They ask how a Muslim can find a place in the story of Ayyappa. But that is what makes Kerala culture unique, its ability to embrace diversity,” he said.
Vijayan also warned that a vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as Union Home Minister Amit Shah has publicly said, would ultimately help weaken Kerala’s pluralistic identity.
“Every vote for BJP will only weaken the character of Kerala,” he said.
The Chief Minister was reacting to Shah’s remarks at a recent event organized by a leading local media organization in Kochi.
Shah had announced that the BJP would secure 25 per cent of the votes in the local body elections and a majority in the assembly elections.
Vijayan said that the state should take this statement seriously.
Highlighting the cultural and social fabric of Kerala, Vijayan said the ideology of the RSS is fundamentally incompatible with the traditions of the state.
“If RSS dominance increases, our society cannot survive in its present form. Onam itself will lose Mahabali. They only want Vamana,” he remarked, warning that Kerala’s pluralistic identity is at stake if communal politics takes hold.
Vijayan’s statement comes at a time when the SIT team appointed by the Kerala High Court is probing the Sabarimala gold scam, where one person has already been arrested in two FIRs filed, in which there are 10 accused.
Both the Congress and the BJP have demanded a probe by a national agency and the resignation of state Devaswom minister V N Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom board members, which have been rejected by the Vijayan government.
–IANS
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