New Delhi: The BJP, along with other political and Hindu organisations, is planning a six-day rath yatra to the Sabarimala temple beginning on November 8. The yatra would culminate on November 13, the day the Supreme Court is set to hear the review petition challenging the entry of women of all ages into the temple.According to an Indian Express report, BJP president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai would lead the yatra, which would kick off from Kasaragod district. Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, a BJP ally, would also participate. Its president Thushar Vellappally, son of the prominent Ezhava community leader Vellppally Natesan, would be part of the yatra.Starting from Madhur temple in Kasaragod district on November 8, the yatra would culminate at the Sabarimala base station of Erumeli. According to the Indian Express, national-level BJP leaders are likely to join the yatra.Also Read: Sabarimala Row: Pinarayi Vijayan-Led LDF Has Become Secularism’s Sole Defender in KeralaPillai claimed that the yatra will seek the support of not just Hindu groups, but also Christian and Muslim ones. “Along the route, we will visit 52 Christian institutions, including Bishops’ houses, and 12 Islamic centres to seek their blessings. The atheist government in Kerala wanted to destroy faith and the uniqueness of Sabarimala temple,” he told the Indian Express. The party is also trying to include the participation of Hindu sages in Kerala.The BJP state president claimed that late Communist leaders like A.K. Gopalan and E.K. Nayanar had tried to “destroy the Sabarimala temple”, which would be “exposed” during the yatra.While the yatra would be held under the NDA’s banner, several Hindu organisations and community outfits have expressed solidarity with the yatra for the “cause of Sabarimala”. According to the Indian Express, one BJP leader said, “To maintain the tempo of the agitations, house-to-house campaign is going on across Kerala. Even women from Communist families share the concern raised by the BJP on Sabarimala issue.’’File photo of devotees at the Sabarimala temple. Credit: PTIThe Kerala government has criticised the yatra, drawing comparisons with L.K. Advani’s rath yatra that culminated with the demolition of Babri Masjid and subsequent riots, attacks and violence. Left Democratic Front convener and CPI(M) central committee member A, Vijayaraghavan called the yatra an effort to “torpedo the law and order system in the state”.“The rath yatra of L K Advani culminated in the demolition of Babri masjid and communal polarisation in India. Similarly, the BJP’s rath yatra to Sabarimala will lead to the collapse of communal harmony in Kerala. BJP president Amit Shah wanted to create communal trouble at any cost. Since the Supreme Court is slated to consider the review petitions next month, the BJP should desist from embarking on such a yatra,’’ Vijayaraghavan told the Indian Express.Also Read: Sabarimala Verdict: A Godsend for the Hindutva BrigadeSabarimala Action Committee, a grouping of various Hindu outfits, is planning to prevent women of menstruating age from entering into the temple on November 5 and 6, when Sabarimala reopens. “We are planning to deploy women above the age of 50 at the shrine as part of the agitation. Police crackdown has not killed the enthusiasm of workers. Hundreds are waiting to join the protest,” a member of the committee said. Police last week arrested over 2,000 people for their role in violent protests opposing the entry of women.As The Wire has reported, the Supreme Court’s verdict has played a factor in changing political equations within the state. While the BJP has milked the “Hindu sentiments” to slowly but steadily gain ground in Kerala, the Congress has taken an “unconvincing stand” on the issue. The LDF and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan have emerged as the defenders of secularism in the state.