BJP on fast, Cong chief stumps party with Sabarimala remark
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 30
The BJP intensified its agitation over the Sabarimala issue by staging a day-long fast here today even as remarks of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi favouring entry of all women into the Lord Ayyappa temple contrary to Kerala unit’s stand created ripples in the state.
Hundreds of BJP workers staged the “hunger strike” in front of the state police chief’s office protesting the LDF government’s move to implement the Supreme Court order lifting the ban on entry of menstrual age women into the Sabarimala shrine and also the police crackdown on the protesters.
BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai led the agitation while party cadre took out marches to offices of SPs in all district headquarters criticising arrest of 3,000 people in connection with the protests earlier this month.
Speaking to journalists in Indore, Gandhi welcomed “at personal level” the Supreme Court order but conceded his views were different from those of his party’s Kerala unit. “My opinion is different from that of my party on this issue. My party there represents the feelings of the local people of Kerala,” he said.
Seizing the opportunity, CM Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed Gandhi’s statement and flayed the state unit saying it was “unfortunate” that the Congress in Kerala was not in sync with the its national leadership on the issue. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said there was no “confusion” in the party over the issue and Gandhi had not disowned the state Congress’ stand on Sabarimala.
Addressing BJP workers here, Pillai alleged the CPM-led LDF government was trying to “destroy” the hill shrine by using police force.
The government was continuing its crackdown against Ayyappa devotees and as many as 3,742 people had been arrested till Tuesday, he said. “The attempt of the atheists to destroy the Lord Ayyappa temple and defame it for the last 50 years is not going to succeed,” he said.
In an embarrassment to the CPM, veteran Marxist leader and former LDF convenor M M Lawrence’s grandson took part in the BJP’s agitation.
At Indore, Gandhi said in his view men and women were equal and women of all age groups should be allowed entry into the shrine. — PTI
