Sabarimala Action Committee, an umbrella organisation fighting the Supreme Court verdict that quashed the ban on the entry of women in the child bearing age group in the holy shrine of Lord Ayyappa is organising a mammoth rally on Sunday at  Thiruvananthapuram, the Capital city of Kerala.

The rally and public meeting titled Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam to be held at Putharikandom Maidan of the heritage city would be addressed by leading Hindu monks, sanyasins and spiritual leaders, according to a release issued by the organising committee on Friday. For the first time in modern times, the State of Kerala will see Swamy Chidanandapuri, the spiritual leader of the Hindus, Mata Amrithanandamayi, popularly known as the hugging saint along with a galaxy of monks and sanyasins sharing the stage to address the gathering.

“Using the Supreme Court verdict as an excuse feminist activists with connections to Maoists are being escorted to the shrine by the State Government machinery to desecrate the holy abode of Lord Ayyappa. The devotees who have mounted a constant vigil top protect the temple and its sanctity have been subjected to brutal State repression,” the SAC alleged in the release.

It said the Sangamam is being organised in response to the attempts to desecrate the shrine and show the determination of the devotees to resist the efforts to browbeat them into submission. “More than 150 leaders of social organisations will be present on the daisalong with prominent activists, intellectuals, and artists from the entertainment industry ,” said M S Giri, the convenor of the event.

Devotees from Tamil Nadu , Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are also on their way to Thiruvaanthapuram  to take part in the Nama Japa Yatra as well as the public meeting, said Durai Shankar, leader of Dharma Raksha Samiti, Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, a war of words erupted between the Government of Kerala and the SAC on Friday following a report submitted by the former to the Supreme Court that 51 women in the 10-50 age group have  visited the shrine this season. The government also submitted a list of the women devotees. But  Sreedharan Pillai, president Kerala BJP charged that the list was a fake one made out from the virtual queue system operated by the Kerala Police.