Rajeev Chandrasekhar clarifies BJP's stand on NSS, Sabarimala row
Thiruvananthapuram, July 13
Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday dismissed reports suggesting that the party had taken a stand against Nair Service Society General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair, asserting that the BJP had never interfered in the internal affairs of community organisations and would never do so.
The Nair Service Society (NSS) is one of Kerala's most influential socio-cultural organisations, representing the Hindu Nair community and wielding considerable social and political influence in the State.
Rajeev described selective media reports of a rift between the BJP and the NSS leadership as false and factually incorrect.
The BJP, he said, held both the organisation and its General Secretary in high esteem.
Recalling his own association with the veteran NSS leader, Rajeev said Sukumaran Nair had extended him every support after he assumed charge as the party's Kerala president and that the two shared a close personal relationship.
"As the party governing the country, the BJP approaches the NSS and its leadership with responsibility and respect," he said, adding that the organisation's efforts for the welfare of lakhs of members of the Nair community were widely recognised.
Rajeev also sought to distance the BJP from the ongoing controversy over the appointment of the Sabarimala Thantri, saying the issue was not a political one and that the party had limitations in expressing an opinion on matters relating to tantric succession.
If any BJP functionary had commented publicly on the issue, those remarks reflected only personal views and not the party's official position, he said.
Turning to the larger Sabarimala controversy, Rajeev alleged that while the Thantri, who had no administrative responsibilities at the hill shrine, was in jail, ministers who exercised control over temple administration remained outside.
He accused the UDF government of shielding the Left leadership in the case and said the BJP, along with devotees, would continue its democratic struggle to protect the temple's traditions, customs and rituals.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Rajeev is trying to keep the peace, but the NSS-BJP tension is real. Sukumaran Nair has been vocal about his issues with the party on secularism and minority rights. Now they're both pretending it's a media creation? 🙄 Meanwhile, the Sabarimala issue is a mess—Thantri in jail, ministers free. UDF pulling strings? BJP needs to focus on real issues, not just these dramabaazi.
Good clarification from Rajeev ji. NSS does great work for the Nair community—education, welfare—and BJP respects that. But the Thantri row shows how politicians use temple matters for votes. If ministers are outside jail while Thantri inside, that's suspicious. BJP should push for transparency in temple admin, not just blame UDF. Sabarimala's customs must be protected, but legally too.
From a Westerner's perspective, this is fascinating. BJP in Kerala is a minority party but uses these community issues to make inroads. The NSS is a powerhouse—courting them makes sense. Sabarimala is a complex interplay of faith, law, and politics. It's interesting Rajeev distances himself from Thantri comments—shows internal coordination issues maybe.
Honestly, this is all just political mukt-mai. NSS has its own agenda, BJP has theirs—both pretending to be above board. Rajeev is a good speaker but let's be real: BJP in Kerala struggles to win support from traditional communities like Nairs. The Thantri issue is a perfect example of how temples become battlegrounds in Kerala politics. Sad, really. 🙏
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