Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan seeks cooperation of all for peace at Sabarimala

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that the objective of the government is to uphold the esteem of Sabarimala Temple. 

"All pilgrims must cooperate with the security arrangements made in Sabarimala, where lakhs of devotees will be visiting," Vijayan added while saying that Sabarimala is a major pilgrim centre and a place of worship for everyone. 

Vijayan's comment comes after activist Trupti Desai on Friday returned to Pune after a 12-hour stand-off with devotees and others, including BJP workers, at the airport.

The activist, who reached here around 4.40 am along with six young women en route to the hill temple, has been unable to come out of the airport, with the protesters saying her group would not be allowed to proceed to the Sabarimala temple.

Meanwhile, Vijayan has sought cooperation from everyone to ensure that the two-month-long pilgrimage season at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, which began Friday, passes off peacefully.

"Any untoward incident would only mar the shrine's reputation and the media must exercise caution and not publish "misinformation that cause disturbances," Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

"Some are also using social media networks to propagate misinformation with an intent to disturb the peace. Such activities must be monitored and reported to authorities," he said.

Referring to the massive protests by devotees when the temple was opened for monthly pujas in October and early this month, the chief minister said certain incidents which should never have occurred did take place at the shrine.

Sabarimala cannot be allowed to be transformed into a place of rioting and protest, he said, adding some may be keen to create tension in the hill shrine and people of Kerala should not fall into their trap.

All devotees must cooperate with the security arrangements at Sabarimala which have been made to ensure a peaceful and safe pilgrimage, he said.

"We have together survived one of the greatest floods in Kerala's history. We were able to overcome it because we surrendered our differences for the greater common good and we need to emulate that unity at this juncture also.

Be it people of faith or people of no faith, all should be able to live according to their preferences. This mutual respect must be the bedrock of our secular existence," Vijayan said.

At the same time, the government is committed to protecting the values enshrined in the Constitution, he added. 

(With PTI Inputs)