Thiruvananthapuram: On October 23, the Supreme Court decided on taking up the review petitions pertaining to the Sabarimala case. Review petitions will be heard on November 13. 

Earlier, Pandalam Palace Managing Committee secretary PN Narayana Varma told said that he had communicated through a special messenger directing the thantri to close the Sabarimala temple if any woman of menstruating age enters the temple or its boundaries.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on October 23, in a press meet, issued a new statement that he cannot agree with the thantri's decision of closing the Sabarimala temple. Vijayan also said a thantri doesn't have any rights to take any such decision. "A thantri can only take decisions on pujas of the temple," he added.  

Also read: Sabarimala temple: From tantric to scientific, strong beliefs behind why women of menstruating age are not allowed

Vijayan also remarked that only Devaswom Board has the right to decide on closing and opening the temple. He further said that it's the duty of the thantri and the board to ensure women of all ages are able to easily enter Sabarimala shrine. The chief minister said that the thantri and the rest have tried to go against the Supreme Court verdict and that has annoyed him.

Vijayan also said that the state government has spent over Rs 302 crore towards Sabarimala for the past five years. He also said that there is a false propaganda that the government has taken all the revenue of the temple from the Devaswom Board. "The temple entirely belongs to the Devaswom Board. No one else has the right to it," he said.

Pandalam Palace representative Shashi Kumar Varma reacted to the chief minister's statement. He expressed his resentment over Vijayan's remark against the thantri. Varma further said that the Pandalam Palace family will hold a press meet tomorrow to announce their further course of action.