RSS Activities Banned On Travancore Devaswom Shrine Premises In Kerala, Board Issues Circular

The circular said that without the authorization of the TDB, all actions of the RSS and outfits with "extreme ideologies" were deemed illegal.

The circular further emphasized that photographs, flags, and flex boards unrelated to the temples must not be displayed on the premises.

Travancore Devaswom Board, the apex temple body in Kerala's Travancore region, issued a fresh circular banning RSS activities on temple premises and its properties. According to a directive issued by the Devaswom Commissioner, 'namajapa protests' (mantra chanting protests) are also prohibited inside the premises of temple-managed sites. The circular said that without the authorization of the TDB, all actions of the RSS and outfits with "extreme ideologies" were deemed illegal.

The directive, issued October 20, instructed the Devaswom Vigilance Wing to conduct surprise raids on temple properties to see whether the RSS or other organisations were conducting 'shakhas' (branches), mass drills, or weaponry training.

The directive mandated that employees and priests of the temples inform the TDB management about the presence and activities of any such groups. Failure to comply would result in disciplinary action, it stated.

The circular further emphasized that photographs, flags, and flex boards unrelated to the temples must not be displayed on the premises.

Non-adherence to these guidelines would be considered a violation of the relevant high court rulings, the circular affirmed.

Last month, the Kerala High Court had said on the premises of Sarkara Devi Temple in Thiruvananthapuram district, which comes under TDB's management, no mass drill or weapons training shall be permitted. The direction was issued while disposing of a plea filed by two devotees.

The devotees sought an order from HC to prevent "illegal use and unauthorised occupancy" of the temple premises by the RSS and its members.

In May of this year, the TDB issued a circular instructing authorities to rigorously adhere to its previous order prohibiting RSS 'shakhas' (branches) or mass drills at its sanctuaries. In 2016, the TDB had issued a circular banning all types of arms training on temple complexes by the RSS.