Thiruvananthapuram: The politically sensitive issue of entry of Sabarimala women resurfaced in Kerala on Sunday following media reports of alleged disclosures by former TDB chief A Padmakumar regarding events surrounding the entry of women of menstruating age into the hill shrine in 2019.
However, the CPII appeared reluctant to respond to the reported allegations, with state minister MV Govindan saying that any clarification would have to come from Padmakumar himself.
Media reports claimed that Padmakumar, the then Chairman of the Travancore Devaswom Board, told those close to him that he and senior police officer S Sreejith were deliberately kept away from Sunnidhanam on the day two women entered the Sabarimala temple after the Supreme Court ruling.
Reports also claimed that Padmakumar claimed that the move was coordinated by a “highly influential person” who had great influence in both the party and the then Left government.
He also reportedly claimed that he was asked to avoid traveling to Sabarimala that day and instead head to Thiruvananthapuram.
Padmakumar, a former CPI MLA who distanced himself from the party after he was named as an accused in the Sabarimala gold missing case and subsequently jailed, is yet to address the media after being released on bail.
These revelations came to light at a time when the leadership of the Communist Party of India had indicated the possibility of taking regulatory action against Padmakumar in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss issue.
When the media asked for the party’s response to the reports, Govindan said the matter should be clarified by Padmakumar himself.
“It is not our responsibility to respond to all these allegations. These questions should be directed to Padmakumar. After he came out of jail in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss case, he was removed from all party responsibilities,” Govindan told reporters.
He further said that any regulatory action against Padmakumar will be decided by the CPI’s Pathanamthitta district committee.
He added, “The District Committee is the authority responsible for taking regulatory measures, and it will certainly take the appropriate decision.”
The issue of entry of Sabarimala women remains one of the most contentious political and social controversies in Kerala in recent years.
In September 2018, the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, overturned the centuries-old practice that barred women between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the hill shrine, holding that the restriction violated constitutional guarantees of equality and freedom of worship.
The ruling triggered widespread protests across Kerala, with a section of Ayyappa devotees and Sangh Parivar organizations opposing the implementation of the ruling and accusing the then CPM-led LDF government of “trying to interfere” in temple traditions.
The controversy intensified in January 2019 when two women of menstruating age entered the Sabarimala temple under police protection, becoming the first to do so after the Supreme Court ruling.
This development led to massive protests, political confrontations, and legal challenges. The Left government headed by then Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended its actions, stressing that it was obligated to implement the Supreme Court order.
Later, the Supreme Court referred a group of petitions raising broader questions about religious practices and gender justice to a larger bench. The case is still pending before the court.
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