The Kerala Police on Thursday registered a case under non-bailable charges against state BJP chief PS Sreedharan Pillai, who was recorded reportedly saying the Sabarimala issue was a “golden opportunity” for the party.
Police have registered the case under Section 505 1(b) of the Indian Penal Code, which refers to comments that can cause fear or alarm in the public and disturb peace. The action was taken after a media professional filed a complaint against Pillai for his inflammatory speech.
In a purported audio clip, Pillai can be heard claiming that the chief priest of the Sabarimala Temple consulted him over closing the doors of the sanctum sanctorum if women tried to enter the shrine.
The clip, which has since gone viral, is from Pillai’s address to the Yuva Morcha state committee in Kozhikode. The BJP leader purportedly said chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru was apprehensive about shutting the doors of the temple as he feared contempt of court but he decided to go ahead with the decision after consulting him.
“The Thantris community has more faith in BJP and its state chief. When women were about to enter Sabarimala, he called me up. I had given him a word and it coincidentally came true. He was a bit upset over shutting the doors of sanctum sanctorum fearing it would invite contempt of court. I was among the few he had contacted that time.
“I said he is not alone. We’d be the first to be slapped with the charges of contempt of court if it comes. There would be tens of thousands of people to be with him. Upon our word, he took a firm stand. That decision had actually left the police and the administration baffled. We hope he’d repeat it again. Later, I became the first accused and he the second accused on charges of contempt of court… As we both figured in, his confidence increased,” he allegedly told the gathering.
When News18 contacted Pillai, he did not deny making the speech and instead said it was on the BJP youth wing’s Facebook page. He said the speech was intended to motivate party workers and show them the “democratic way” of protest. “It is now aired to distract everyone from the merciless acts going on in Sabarimala,” he said.
On the conversation with the Thantris, Pillai said he was only providing legal opinion as a political leader and legal adviser but refused to divulge more details.
Reacting to the clip, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Twitter: "The odious politics and perfidious ways of BJP stand exposed. Evidence has surfaced that BJP leaders in the State connived to create trouble in Sabarimala. It must be noted that their State president himself was involved in the ruse. This is highly condemnable."
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