Sabarimala Advisory board chairman T K A Nair has said that continuing 'ban' on young women in Sabarimala is mere hypocrisy and double standards.

“At a time when Sabarimala devotees seldom observe 41 days’ strict vratham including celibacy, disallowing young women to enter Sabarimala is certainly gender discrimination,” says Nair, who was also the advisor of former prime minister Manmohan singh.

Nair said this in a exclusive interview given to Kerala Kaumid’s editorial page.

T K Nair also criticises the Central government’s approach in the Sabarimala issue. “The Centre may want to keep alive the Sabarimala issue till 2019 Parliament election. They may also be wishing for Sabarimala issue to have negative influence on post-flood measures and development works of the Kerala government led by the LDF,” he says.