Kerala - Kozhikode   

‘Let devotees manage temples’

Kozhikode: Kerala Janapaksham, formed by dissidents in BJP led by K. Raman Pillai, is in favour of joining a political coalition in the State.

Its central working committee which held a meeting in Kozhikode has concluded that a political coalition that was guided solely by people’s interests had become inevitable. Mr. Pillai, the group’s president, later said at a press conference on Monday that administration of temples like Sabarimala should be entrusted to committees consisting of members elected from among devotees.

He appealed to the government to enact a legislation to make it possible. “A secular government should not directly manage administration of any place of worship. Also, since the Constitution guarantees the right to all believers to establish and manage their places of worship, it would be unfair for the government to deny this right to any believer in any religious faith,” he said.

Mr. Pillai also added that it would not be fair to blame the Devaswom Minister or members of Devaswom board for problems at Sabarimala including the hitch in distributing ‘aravana.’ An overhauling of the administrative set-up was needed. The government’s duty was to make it possible by enacting suitable legislation, he remarked.

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