Daijiworld Media Network - Tiruvananthapuram (MS)

Tiruvananthapuram, Dec 2: Kerala government has given a certificate of appreciation to SP Yatish Chandra, IPS officer of Davanagere origin, who was in news for the heated war of words with central minister Pon Radhakrishnan who had arrived to Sabarimala for the darshan of Lord Aiyappa recently.

LDF government led by chief minster Pinarayi Vijayan had heaped praise on Yatish for the way he handled the tense situation at Sabarimala. The government of Kerala had transferred Yatish from the security responsibility of Sabarimala shrine recently, as his actions drew severe criticism.

Details of the incident

Radhakrishnan, state minister for ship and finance in the central government, had arrived to Nilakkal in order to proceed to Lord Aiyappa temple at Sabarimala. At that time the devotees used to reach Pampa from Nilakkal, which is at a distance of 20 km from Sabarimala and visit the shrine. Radhakrishnan who took the stock of situation at Nilakkal had instructed SP

Yathish to allow private vehicles also to Pumpa instead of only buses of KSRTC. The minister had also accused the SP of causing harassment to the devotees due to the restrictions.

Yatish Chandra had tried to convince the minister of the prevailing situation and said, "Due to the deluge of August, the vehicle parking area is completely destroyed at Pumpa. That is why we are allowing only buses run by the government. The buses drop the devotees at Pampa and also pick up devotees from there on their return journey. If we allow private vehicles to Pampa, it will create traffic congestion and inconvenience to the devotees. If required we will give permission for the authorized vehicle of the minister. However, when the minister did not budge, the SP had asked him to give in writing to allow the private vehicles and then only he will agree the private vehicles to move till Pampa."

This statement of SP Yatish had led to a heated argument between the minister and him. The minister who could not do anything travelled to the Pampa by bus only.

This incident had made a huge wave throughout the country. After this incident, BJP, who used to laud Yatish, had got irated on him. At the same time, left front, which used to show ire at Yatish, started praising him.