An inter-State “war” has erupted between Kerala and Karnataka over animal sacrifice and sorcery. Karnataka strongman and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar said on Friday that animal sacrifice and “black magic” were held in temples in northern Kerala with the intention of bringing down the Congress Government led by D Siddarmaiah.
“This is being done against me and the Chief Minister. A 'Shatru Bhairavi Yagya' (fire sacrifice) is being carried out near Raja Rajeshwari Temple in Kannur district in Kerala to eliminate enemies. 'Panchabali' (five sacrificial items) is being offered. A nice red goat, 21 buffaloes, three black sheep and five pigs’” Shivakumar told the media. But the supreme Court by an order has banned the practice of animal practice in 1960s itself.
This is the first time in post-independent India a State’s top political leader charges another State with such an allegation. The Congress leader also said that he was getting up to date information from people taking part in these rituals. Shivakumar also disclosed that the rituals and sacrifices were being performed by political leaders from Karnataka itself.
He showed the sacred thread tied on his right hand and said that it has been done to ward off the evil effects of these animal sacrifices and black magic. Interestingly, the temple administration council members of Raja Rajeswari Temple denied that the temple premises were being used to conduct animal sacrifice and sorcery. “Such rituals are never held in any of the temples in Kannur district. Raja Rajeswara Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Shiva is a Maha Kshethram and reports about such rituals are non-sense,” said Akkeeraman Kalidasa Bhattathiri, one of the senior priests and president of the Kerala Yoga Kshema Sabha, an organization of professional priests. Bhattathiri said this was an attempt to discredit the Sanatan Dharma.
R Bindu, CPI(M) leader and Kerala Minister for higher education, who has no love lost for temples and Hindu deities, told reporters that Shivakumar was bluffing. “There is no iota of truth in Shivakumar’s allegations,” said Bindu, spouse of CPI(M) polit bureau member Vijayaraghavan.
