THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar has said that the board will accept the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala review petitions, whatever the verdict is.

“The board’s stand while opening the temple for Kumba month puja will be clarified later. The board’s submission in the court was in accordance with the Supreme Court’s September 28 order. If the apex court delivers another verdict, we’ll follow that as we are obliged to do so,” he said.

Padmakumar also used the opportunity to find fault with the BJP, saying that the party had first accepted the SC verdict on Sabarimala. The president was seen beating about the bush and trying to evade questions while media persons virtually cornered him on Wednesday.

Rakesh Dwivedi, who had appeared for the Devaswom Board in the Supreme Court when a batch of review petitions was considered, clarified before Justice Indu Malhotra that the Board had changed its earlier stand. “What I’m saying now is the board’s current stand,” he told the justice when she asked whether the board had changed its earlier stand.

The board’s counsel told the court that “there is no proof to show that ban on young women’s entry in Sabarimala is an essential part of religion.”