The opposition UDF on Saturday urged the Left government in Kerala not to give any room for communalists to create an issue at the famous Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple during the upcoming pilgrimage season.

While addressing reporters here, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan said the hill shrine has been witnessing heavy rush as it opened on the first day of Malayalam month of Thulam for monthly pujas and rituals. He said the pilgrims had to queue up for seven hours for darshan and the government didn't make any arrangements there, including providing drinking water or deploying adequate police personnel.

The opposition had already issued a warning in the state Assembly in this regard recently, he said. Last year, the number of virtual queue booking was 90,000 per day and the spot booking was 15,000, the LoP pointed out.

This year, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had limited this to 80,000 only per day, he said. Urging the government not to create a situation in which devotees have to go back without having darshan at the Lord Ayyappa Temple due to restrictions, Satheesan asked the CM not to "mess up" the Sabarimala pilgrimage as had happened in Thrissur Pooram in April this year. The disruption of various rituals during the Pooram day had triggered a political row in the state recently.

Noting that the UDF does not want Sabarimala to be a topic of controversy again, the LoP also urged the government not to give any room for communalists to create an issue at the hill temple during the upcoming pilgrimage season through their decision to restrict the number of pilgrims.

The Kerala government on Tuesday made it clear that the pilgrims who visit Sabarimala without virtual queue booking will also be provided smooth darshan at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

The government backtracked from its earlier decision to provide darshan only through online registration during the upcoming pilgrimage season following widespread protest.