The mouthpiece of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala voiced its support of the Supreme Court's verdict to allow women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple on Thursday, despite angry protests from worshippers of Lord Ayyappa.

The article, which appeared in the Malayalam daily Janmabhumi, is titled, “Sabarimala: No importance for unnecessary controversy,” and was written by R Sanjayan, deputy director of Bharatiya Vichara Kendram.

“The verdict by Supreme Court is in no way affecting the existing rituals and beliefs of Sabarimala. Not only that, the entry of women believers will only enhance the glory and popularity of the temple,” Sanjayan writes. “There is absolutely nothing in the verdict that goes against the Hindu beliefs or the Hindu society."

“On the pretext of the Supreme Court verdict, some elements are trying to create ideological problems within the Hindu society. This cannot be accepted at any cost,” he writes. He notes that women alone should be left to decide whether or not they choose to enter the temple.

This article was published in the Malayalam mouthpiece of the BJP, even as many of the BJP leaders have come out strongly against the SC verdict.

“As far as the Hindu society is concerned, it is very important to safeguard the temples and their rituals but at the same time, we must also keep in mind to progress with time. If we continue to stick to irrational beliefs, it will go on to decay and exploit the society,” he writes.

On Tuesday, thousands of people, including women and children, staged marches in Pandalam, Thiruvananthapuram and other parts of Kerala, to protest the SC’s verdict.