UNI

Bangalore, Jul 1: Kannada actress Jayamala, who is in the eye of a storm after confessing to entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala Ayyappa hill shrine in Kerala, got some solid backing from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.

When the issue was raised during zero hour by Congress member S S Patil, Legislators, cutting across party lines, supported her and criticised the ''anti-women'' practices at the famed temple. The issue even saw Vatal Nagaraj of the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha staging a walkout.

Patil described the curbs on women visiting the temple as an ''insult to the entire womenfolk and nothing but practising untouchability.'' He demanded that the issue of allowing women into the temple be referred to the Centre.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, he sought a half an hour discussion on the subject on Monday, which was allowed by Speaker Krishna.

When some members objected to raising the issue in the House as it was connected to the Kerala Government, senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge intervened and said it was a sensitive issue.

Such discrimination against women, particularly a Kannadiga, should be discussed on the floor of the House, he stressed, wondering why Kerala, claiming to be a progressive State, was continuing with such practices.

Referring to Kerala Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran's statement that the actress should be prosecuted, Nagaraj asked why the issue should not be discussed in the House. He demanded that following the confession, the Karnataka Government should extend protection to her against any action initiated against her.

Nagaraj staged a walkout when Endowments Minister B Nagaraj Shetty rose to give a reply.

G Srirama Reddy (CPI-M) supported taking up the issue and brought to the notice of the House that Dalits were not allowed into temples even in Karnataka. Such practices should be stopped forthwith, he demanded.

The controversy arose when Jayamala had disclosed earlier in the week that she and her husband had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in 1987 and touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa. Recently, a ''devaprasnam'' held at the temple revealed that an young actress had entered the temple 18 years ago and the deity was dissatisfied with it.

However, Supreme Priest of the temple Kanteru Maheswaru Thantri had raised doubts about Jayamala's disclosure and said there was ''some mystery'' behind it.

He demanded an inquiry into how and with whose help she had entered the temple as there was no chance for a devotee, particularly a woman, to enter the sanctum sanctorum.

According to tradition, women who had attained puberty and had not reached menopause were prohibited from entering the temple.