The political and social ripples from the historic police-escorted entry of women devotees Bindu Ammini, Kanaka Durga and Rehana Fatima into the Sabarimala temple continue to shape public discourse and policy debates in Kerala. As demands for a policy reassessment grow louder across the state’s political spectrum, attention now turns to whether Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will recalibrate his government’s stance on Sabarimala and broader temple entry reforms.
The Pinarayi Vijayan government is in the dock after the Supreme Court asked it to submit its response on Monday, February 16, while taking up the review petitions against its 2018 verdict permitting women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The court also directed all parties to file their written submissions by March 14 before proceeding further in the matter.
This has now triggered fresh political debate over the affidavit the government is set to file in the Supreme Court on the entry of women of menstruating age into Sabarimala. It is learnt from CPM leaders and ministers that the affidavit may not reiterate the earlier progressive position, but instead reflect a stand aimed at upholding faith sentiments — a departure from the government’s 2018 affidavit that supported the Supreme Court verdict allowing women’s entry into Sabarimala, a move that had deeply hurt many devotees and Ayyappa followers.
SC’s 2018 verdict and Activists Entry
The 2018 Supreme Court verdict that struck down the century-old ban on women of menstrual age entering the Lord Ayyappa shrine triggered intense political battles and street protests across Kerala. The LDF government welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision on Sabarimala. In a symbolic culmination of the legal mandate, Bindu Ammini, Kanaka Durga, Rehna Fatima who did not regard as devotees, were escorted by police into the sacred hill shrine, defying long-standing traditional restrictions.
Their entry triggered widespread protests across the state, with many Hindu devotees taking to the streets. In several instances, tensions turned violent, and groups of protesters camped along the pilgrimage route and around the hill shrine in an attempt to prevent women from entering Sabarimala. At that time, Kerala witnessed intense unrest and heightened tensions across the state.
RSP leader and Kollam MP N.K. Premachandran has stood by his controversial remarks on the 2018 Sabarimala women’s entry issue, alleging that the LDF government and the state police facilitated the visit of Rehana Fathima, Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini to the temple. Speaking on Monday, he said he was unfazed by the cyber-attacks directed against him. Premachandran had made the remarks during the concluding session of the UDF’s ‘Faith Protection March’ in Pandalam, where he accused the state government of actively aiding women’s entry into Sabarimala.
He further claimed, citing what he described as police sources, that the women were provided porotta and beef before their temple visit. He also pointed out that the same government later organised the Ayyappa Sangamam in Pamba in 2025.
RSP leader’s allegation that the activists consumed non-vegetarian food before entering Sabarimala
RSP leader and Kollam MP N.K. Premachandran has stated that the LDF government and the state police facilitated the visit of Rehana Fathima, Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini to the Sabarimala temple during the 2018 women’s entry issue. He reiterated the same allegation in 2025 and said he was not bothered by the cyber attacks against him. Premachandran made these remarks during the concluding session of the UDF’s ‘Faith Protection March’ in Pandalam, where he accused the state government of aiding women’s entry into the temple. Citing what he described as information from police sources, he claimed that the women were provided porotta and beef before their visit. He also noted that the same government later organised the Ayyappa Sangamam in Pamba in 2025.
Big Setback for LDF government in 2019 Lok Sabha Election
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) performed very poorly. It won only one out of Kerala’s 20 seats. Many believed this was because Hindu voters were unhappy with the party’s support for the court’s verdict. The party returned to power in the 2021 Assembly elections. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it again won only one seat. The party later said it lost support among Hindu voters because of its strong outreach to the Muslim community over issues like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
CPI(M) Scales Back Muslim Outreach, Targets Jamaat-e-Islami Over Alleged Congress Links
After the major loss in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) reduced its outreach to Muslim groups. It also began criticising conservative Muslim organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing them of working closely with the Congress party.
In the local body elections last December, the LDF lost significant ground to the Congress-led UDF. The setback was linked to allegations of gold theft from Sabarimala, a controversy that reportedly involved some CPI(M) leaders. Both the Congress and the BJP have made this issue a major campaign point against the LDF in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Kerala Assembly Polls: Will Pinarayi Government take a U-turn on Sabarimala Women entry?
Kerala will go to the polls in May 2026 to elect its Assembly representatives. The BJP has announced that “viswasa samrakshanam” (protecting the faith) will be one of its main themes in the Assembly elections. This comes after the Sabarimala gold theft controversy.
The party is using the issue to reinforce its claim that the CPI(M) has acted against devotees in the Sabarimala matter. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) leader and the Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has said the state government should revise its earlier affidavit in the Supreme Court that supported the entry of young women into the hill shrine. “Otherwise, the hypocrisy of the CPI(M) will be exposed,” Satheesan said.
The LDF with the CPM leaders have learnt that the major setback during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is of the stand they took in Sabarimala women entry issue. They have been trying hard to make the party base voters feel that the government is considering a shift in the women entry stand in the Supreme Court. They wanted the Hindu voters to think that the party is with the faith.
