President of the Travancore Devaswom Board A Padmakumar has denied reports that claimed there are “differences of opinion” between him and commissioner N Vasu but agreed that there could have been “a communication gap” when he briefed lawyers on the Sabarimala case.

Speaking at a function here on Friday, he scoffed at rumours suggesting that he was preparing to resign, and said that he intended to complete his term, which ends in November this year.

Padmakumar’s comments come a day after reports surfaced claiming he had sought an explanation from the commissioner who had liaised with the lawyers in New Delhi. He was reportedly irked that the Devaswom board had decided to align with the State government, which wants to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict on women’s entry into Sabarimala temple.

Padmakumar said he was not updated on the “shift in the stand,” and the lawyers had failed to submit to the court that the board had wished to file a petition seeking extension of time for implementing the verdict. This option is still open, he said here on Friday. But his assertion runs contrary to the stated position of the State Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, who has said that the option has ceased to exist.

While speaking at the function here, the board president also denied that he had sought an explanation from the commissioner, who too was present on the dais.

BJP slams government

Meanwhile, the State BJP has demanded to know who had vested the Devaswom commissioner as well as the chairman of its recruitment board with the responsibility of running the Sabarimala case.

“The State government owes an explanation how the president of the board was bypassed in the process,” State BJP spokesman MS Kumar told newspersons here.

He added that the government must clarify who had funded the two Devaswom officials’ trip to New Delhi.

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