The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has issued a circular restricting the activities of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh in over 1,200 temples under its management across south India.
The TDB circular restricts mass drills and other activities organized by the RSS on temple grounds and also bans displaying pictures of political leaders as they “destroy the temple’s purity.”
In a statement, TDB president Ananthagopan said that Dewaswom board is of the opinion that temples are meant for worship by devotees and they should not face any inconvenience in their religious activity.
He said that the circular was issued in 2016 as RSS shakhas were operating inside many temples and the right-wing outfit was performing mass drills inside the premises which hindered the day-to-day religious activities at the temple.
Now the circular has been reissued to bring to the notice of the officials.
Ananthagopan also said that a decision is also being mulled to ban the displaying of pictures of political leaders which will “destroy the purity of temples”.
He said that TDB officials will hold meetings with concerned people to avoid such situations, but no call has been taken yet, adding that the TDP is not under any kind of political pressure and acts on its own accord.
The TDB president noted that certain issues related to the above-mentioned activities were reported since January this year, especially during the festive season, when in certain instances these organizations have even interfered in temple activities.
The TDB had in 2016 issued a circular wherein it had banned all forms of arms training by the RSS inside temple premises. The order, which stressed that temple grounds must only be used for rituals and festivals, was reissued on March 30, 2021.
The TDB has now issued a fresh circular that restricts the activities of RSS such as arms drills. The circular also warns of strict action against those who won’t comply with the ban.
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