Kottayam, November 5: Landing the Kerala BJP in soup, the party's state unit chief Sreedharan Pillai admitted before youth wing workers that the agitation between October 17 to 22 was orchestrated by them as part of their "agenda".

While addressing the Yuva Morcha cadres on Monday, Pillai said the party had strategically fielded its two general secretaries at the base camp, who mobilised devotees to restrict the entry of women of menstrual age inside the temple. Sabarimala Reopens Today, Pilgrims Protest and Shout Slogans Against Kerala Police Amid High Security.

"We put forward an agenda and all others surrendered before it," the BJP leader said, adding that the head priest of Lord Ayyappa shrine, Kandararu Rajeevaru, was also convinced by him to close the doors of the temple.

The priest asked him whether closing the shrine would amount to contempt of court, to which Pillai assured him that he would not be facing the contempt proceedings alone.

"This will only encourage his (priest's) confidence in us. So I was telling, this for us, is a strategy. So after seeing how this would develop, all of us will come on our side," Pillai was quoted as saying.

Reacting to Pillai's statements, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the BJP and Sangh Parivar's role has been "exposed" for their role behind the stir in Sabarimala. Here is what he tweeted:

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala had earlier accused the BJP of turning the Sabarimala issue into an opportunity to reap electoral benefits.

"The pattern is very similar to what happened in Ayodhya in 1992. They want to defy the Supreme Court's order and spread anarchy in the state. The Left government will not let them succeed," CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury had said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2018 07:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).