'Deliberately removed ADGP S Sreejith, top leader pulled strings'; Padmakumar makes shocking disclosure on Sabarimala women entry

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar, in a shocking revelation, said that ADGP S Sreejith was deliberately kept away from the sanctum sanctorum on the day women entered Sabarimala, flouting the temple custom.

Padmakumar revealed that a high-ranking official with high influence in the party and administrative leadership pulled the strings for this. It is indicated that this revelation by Padmakumar, who is also a former Devaswom President, will come out in his autobiography, which is awaiting release.

Women entered Sabarimala on January 1, 2019, during the Makaravilakku pilgrimage. According to Padmakumar, on that day, when he was on his way to Sannidhanam, a high-ranking official in the administration's office asked him to urgently reach Thiruvananthapuram. The request was to meet a high-ranking official who had great influence in the party and the administration. He reached Thiruvananthapuram at around 1 am and went to the leader's residence, but was not allowed inside. The person who asked him to reach Thiruvananthapuram also started ignoring his phone calls.

The police informed that the high-ranking political official will come out for his daily morning walk at 5 am. Padmakumar stayed at his own house in Thiruvananthapuram and woke up at 5 in the morning to go straight to the leader’s house, but then he happened to watch the television news. The headlines screamed, “Women entered Sabarimala shrine”.

Bindu Ammini and Kanakadurga performed the darshan. It is reported that Padmakumar, who later met the political leader, expressed his fury over the incident.

After returning to Pathanamthitta, Padmakumar revealed the whole episode to his close associate. He even planned to resign from the post of Devaswom president. Later, Padmakumar distanced himself from the leadership and was soon ostracised by the party.