THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 49-year-old man who in an inebriated state set himself on fire outside the Secretariat near BJP’s protest venue early Thursday morning, succumbed to his injuries.

The victim, identified as Venugopalan Nair, doused himself in some flammable liquid and then lit his clothing outside the Secretariat. He was immediately rushed to the nearby the medical college hospital with 70% burns. In flames, he was heard chanting the ‘swami saranam’ hymns.

Nair was in a critical state and was under observation in the Intense Care Unit. The incident took place at around 1:30 am in the morning near the BJP's venue of protest against restrictions on women's entry into Sabarimala temple.

BJP, however, alleges that Nair was Lord Ayyappa's devotee and was upset because of the ongoing row over the ban on women of a particular age entering Sabarimala temple.