Pandalam: The Pandalam royal family of Kerala has filed a police complaint against the Sri Ramadasa Mission president, Shantananda Maharshi, for making derogatory remarks against Vavar of Sabarimala. Speaking at the Sabarimala Samrakshana Sangamam, organised by Sangh Parivar in Pathanamthitta’s Pandalam, the Hindutva sage called Vavar a terrorist and a Muslim attacker.
The complaint, filed under the BNS sections of hurting religious sentiments and creating enmity between two religious communities, was lodged by royal family member A R Pradeepa Varma with the Pandalam police. With this, the number of complaints received against Shantananda for hate speech has reached two. Earlier, Congress media spokesperson Adv. V R Anoop had filed a complaint.
The accused sage claimed that Vavar was established in Sabarimala some 25 to 30 years ago, and the deity has no connection with Lord Ayyappa. He claimed that Vavar was a Muslim invader and a terrorist who came to attack Lord Ayyappa. It is not Vavar who is to be worshipped but another deity, Vapuran, the sage claimed.
Former Tamil Nadu state president of the BJP, Annamalai, inaugurated the Sabarimala Samrakshana Sangamam. During his speech, the Tamil Nadu BJP leader and former BJP Tamil Nadu chief attacked both Kerala and Tamil Nadu chief ministers, Pinarayi Vijayan and M K Stalin.
He said that Vijayan, who quoted the twelfth chapter of the Gita, should know that there is another chapter before that which says that there are three ways for a person to go to hell. He listed the sins as lust, anger and greed and claimed that Vijayan has all three.
Annamalai, who said that the Kerala government invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin, who is trying to dispute Sanatana Dharma, claimed that the DMK is holding a global Ayyappa Sangam in Kerala because it is holding a global Muruga Sangam, and that neither of them is worthy to hold the events.