Travancore Devaswom Board Says No To RSS Drills In Temples, Cong Welcomes Move

Travancore Devaswom Board's circular said that the order should be strictly followed and action would be taken against those officers who do not follow it.

Earlier, a senior official said that the circular was reissued to ensure that the operation of RSS 'shakhas' inside temple premises was not allowed. ( Image Source :Getty )

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the managing authority of temples in Kerala, issued a circular asking officials to follow its order to not allow mass drills and other activities organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on temple premises. 

According to ANI, “Kerala | Travancore Devaswom Board issued a circular on May 18 to all temples under them to not allow mass drills and other activities organised by the RSS on temple premises. The circular said that this should be strictly followed and action will be taken against those officers who do not follow it. “

“Travancore Devaswom Board had issued an order on March 30 that except for temple rituals and festivals, the temple premises should not be used for any other purpose,” it said.

Kerala | Travancore Devaswom Board issued a circular on May 18 to all temples under them to not allow mass drills and other activities organised by the RSS on temple premises. The circular says that this should be strictly followed and action will be taken against those officers…

— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Congress Supports TDB Circular

Congress supported TDB circular and accused RSS of spreading hatred among the people. VD Satheesan, LoP Kerala Assembly & Congress leader on Travancore Devaswom board circular said, “I am supporting that circular, even though they issued a circular in 2021 it has been violated by the RSS. RSS is spreading hatred among the people, they are trying to make divisions among the people. The premises of the temple cannot be used for such purposes, it is a very sacred institution.” 

“All types of drills and practices should be prevented in the premises of the temple. The temple is the common property of the believers. About 90% of the Hindus in Kerala are against Sanga Pariwar,” he said.

In 2016, Travancore Devaswom Board issued a circular banning all types of arms training in the temple complexes by RSS. The then Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran alleged that the RSS was trying to turn temples into storehouses of arms in Kerala and that the government has been receiving a large number of complaints in this regard.

On March 30, 2021, the board reissued the circular asking the officials to take action in this regard. The circular was reissued to ensure that the operation of RSS 'shakhas' inside temple premises was not allowed, a senior official said, as per a report on PTI.