Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Saturday hinted at Hindutva ideology extremist being responsible for the attack on Swami Sandeepananda Giri's ashram earlier today.
Shailaja, who visited Swami Sandeepananda Giri's ashram in Thiruvananthapuram's Kundamankadavu that was attacked by unidentified assailants, said: "We suspect Hindutva ideology extremist are behind the attack. Swami Sandeepananda Giri said women can enter Sabarimala and that if we want to keep old customs, we can't go forward as a human society because several customs discriminate between men and women."
She further said that Giri was teaching people to be secular and to not discriminate between men and women; and hence, became subject to the attack.
"Swami Sandeepananda Giri Ji is trying to teach people about it. He is also teaching people to be secular and do not discriminate between men and women and that irritated some people in society. I think they are behind the attack. The intention was to kill him," Shailaja told media.
The reaction from the Kerala Minister came after an ashram in Kerala, founded by a preacher who supported the apex court verdict allowing the entry of women of menstruating age to the Sabarimala temple, was allegedly attacked by some unidentified persons earlier in the day.
Two cars and a scooter belonging to the Ashram were also set ablaze by the assailants.
Sandeepananda Giri is one of the supporters of the Supreme Court's verdict that allowed the entry of women of all ages inside Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.
He has been allegedly receiving threats for hailing the top court's order.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accompanied by state finance minister Thomas Issac and state Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, visited the preacher and condemned the attack on his Ashram.
"Physical attacks happen when you can't deal ideologically. Will not allow anyone to take law and order in their hands. Those who are intolerant towards Swami's activities attacked his ashram," Vijayan said.
The Sabarimala Temple witnessed strings of protests by devotees and priests as few women tried to reach the sanctum sanctorum following the apex court's ruling that came on September 28.
So far, over 2,800 people have been arrested and 490 cases have been registered against protestors who prevented women from entering the temple.
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