Pathanamthitta: Public protests have begun against the Kerala Government's decision to discontinue spot booking at Sabarimala. The Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam held a dharna (protest) in front of the Collectorate, demanding protection of the religious practices of the Hindu community. 

Inaugurating the protest, the Samajam state president, Akkeeraman Kalidasa Bhattathiripad, stated that the issue is being viewed through a political lens, which is problematic. He highlighted that before 2018, over 1 crore pilgrims visited Sabarimala without any issues. He also pointed out that currently, devotees have to go through the Akshaya centres for online booking, which complicates the process of securing a ‘darshan’ of Lord Ayyappa.

District president P D Padmakumar presided over the event.

Spot booking is essential: Binoy Viswam

CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam stressed that every devotee visiting Sabarimala should have the opportunity to have darshan of Lord Ayyappa. He stated that in addition to the virtual queue system, spot booking should also be made available. If not, the BJP, RSS and other groups may exploit the situation for political gain under the guise of faith, he opined.

During a board meeting on Monday, Travancore Devaswom Board member and CPI representative A Ajikumar expressed the party's opposition to the discontinuation of spot booking.

Don’t disrupt pilgrimage: V D Satheesan

Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, has written to the Chief Minister and the Devaswom Minister, urging them to reinstate spot booking and ensure the pilgrimage is not disrupted. He mentioned that last year, while 90,000 people were allowed to visit through the online system, an additional 15,000 were granted entry through spot booking, yet many devotees were still unable to get darshan. He warned that relying solely on online booking would lead to serious issues.