Travancore Devaswam board chief: Temples are for believers, no other activities will be allowed

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 23 (ANI): Travancore Devaswom Board president K Ananthagopan on Tuesday said that the temples are for the believers and no other activities will be allowed in them after the board re-issued its circular banning mass drills and other exercises organized by RSS on temple premises.
"RSS 'shakhas' are operated in many temples and drills are performed there. This is the reason why such a circular was issued. Temples are for the believers. There should not be any inconvenience to devotees. This is the stand of the Board", the Tranvancore Devaswom Board chief said.
The Devaswom Board chief further said that the officials have to check and discuss with concerned persons regarding the same and settle any issues, amicably.
"The circular has been re-issued to bring this matter to the notice of officials. They have to check this and discuss it with the concerned persons and settle amicably. There was no interference from any organisation behind this decision. This is not just meant for RSS it is applicable to all organisations", Ananthagopan said.
Earlier today, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) issued a circular to all temples under them to not allow mass drills and other activities organised by the RSS on temple premises.
The circular, issued on May 18 says that this should be strictly followed and action will be taken against those officers who do not follow it.
The TDB'S fresh circular is a reiteration of its earlier order on March 30, 2021, which said that other than for temple rituals and festivals the temple premises should not be used for any other purpose.
According to the circular issued by the TDB, the board re-issued the order after noticing that RSS branches were functioning on its temple premises. (ANI)