An activist who has emerged as the TV studio voice of the no-changers in Sabarimala has claimed that a group was ready with a contingency plan to desecrate the shrine with human blood to force its shutdown and prevent the entry of women.

“There is a provision to close down the temple in the event of any obstruction to the rituals. I have no issues in openly admitting that not just the government, but we too need a Plan B and Plan C,” Rahul Easwar, a social activist and a member of the family of Sabarimala priests, had told a media conference at Kochi in Kerala on Wednesday.

“I was not there. But about 20 devotees were ready to check anyone (women of child-bearing age) entering the temple with the help of police…. By shedding a drop of blood with a tiny cut on their hands…. the temple would have to be closed for three days (for cleansing rituals). The temple practices are very clear that a three-day closure is a must if the premises gets contaminated with blood or urine,” Easwar, who was in judicial custody when the protests had peaked last week, had added.

The grisly plan not only strikes at the root of the protesters’ description of themselves as “devotees” but also open themselves to charges of conspiracy.

The first phase of the stand-off ended last week with no women of child-bearing age being allowed to enter the temple.

The disclosure has landed Easwar in controversy. On Thursday, Kerala temple affairs minister and CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran accused Easwar of conspiring to make the temple premises a war zone.

“We had always suspected such a conspiracy was in the works to whip up a law and order situation. But now Rahul Easwar himself has come out with evidence that proves our suspicions were correct,” the minister said. “This is a very serious matter and we need to find out who all were behind this conspiracy.”

“Rahul may have even had a Plan C or D which the country needs to know. He might even repeat such failed attempts,” the minister added. The busiest phase on the temple calendar is scheduled to begin from mid-November.

Easwar, who has initially filled a vacuum when most political parties had welcomed the Supreme Court judgment allowing women of all ages to enter the temple, is now saying what he meant was he had dissuaded the protesters from implementing the plan.

“I had actually stopped the emotionally charged devotees (from the desecration plan) and convinced them to take the Gandhian way (of satyagraha), but now I am being accused of leading a conspiracy,” Easwar told a Malayalam channel in response to the minister’s statement.

“This is an attempt to blacken not just Rahul Easwar, but all devotees,” said Easwar who termed the Left government’s steps as “atheistic stubbornness.”

Easwar was arrested on Oct 17 and booked under several sections, including unlawful assembly and rioting, when Sabarimala devotees tried to stop women from entering the temple. He was granted bail on Monday.