Kerala minister accuses RSS of conducting 'illegal activities' in Devaswom temples

Kadakampally Surendran, the Devasom Board Minister in Kerala, on Monday claimed that the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) was conducting illegal activities in temples in the state.

"Every day, I'm getting several complaints about organisations, including the RSS conducting illegal activities in temples under the Devaswom board," said Surendran on a Facebook post. "The RSS is trying to push believers away from temples, making it a storage place for weapons. Such anti-social activities will not be allowed," he added.  

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Kummanam Rajasekharan dismissed the accusations levied against the RSS. 

"Why has the minister not mentioned which are these temples that are being misused? Why does he not show the petitions which have come to him? He is just imagining things," he told NDTV.

The CPM-led government has been criticised recently for its "anti-Hindu" stance. The BJP and the Congress have opposed the government's intervention in religious beliefs. 

Kerala Public Works Minister G Sudhakaran said recently that lighting lamps and singing religious hymns at government programmes should be avoided.

Our Constitution has no religion or caste. Hence (there is) no need to light nilavilakku (traditional lamps) during government functions,'' he had said. Instead, he said, patriotic songs should be sung at such events.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also told government employees not to make flower carpets during work hours on Onam. Earlier, he had also suggested scrapping special darshan for VIPs at the Sabarimala temple. The government has also been supportive of women's entry into the temple. The issue is being heard in the Supreme Court, he said.