The State government had clamped prohibitory orders in Sabarimala as per the directives of the Central government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Addressing a Meet-the-Press programme organised by the Press Club here on Sunday, Mr. Vijayan said that in the aftermath of the protests following the Supreme Court verdict granting entry for women of child-bearing age into the Sabarimala temple, the Union Home Ministry in a directive to the State government (No. 11034/01/2018 IS IV GoI Ministry of Home Affairs – Internal Security) had instructed to clamp “appropriate prohibitory orders” and keep a close watch on “dissemination of adverse information through social media” for ensuring that “no breach of law and order takes place”.
Mr. Vijayan said the electoral victory of Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates in the State was important for ensuring a strong Left presence in Parliament.
People should exercise their franchise by keeping in mind the fact that the LDF approached the electorate by upholding the importance of secularism in the country and the alternative policies of the front in the State. Though the LDF and the United Democratic Front (UDF) are the main contestants in the Lok Sabha election here, the UDF is engaged in covert and overt alliances with the BJP in many places.
“When anti-democratic forces win the election, the great tradition of the country will be under threat,” he said adding that the people should realise that roadshows by leaders who had instigated communal violence in northern parts of the country would lead to a dangerous situation. The Congress is not highlighting its election manifesto in the campaign,’’ he said adding that it was indulging in misinformation campaign about the government’s handling of the flood situation.
The UDF should have criticised the Central government’s policies during electioneering, he said noting that the BJP-led government’s policies were no different from those of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Predicting that the BJP would not return to power in the election, the Chief Minister said that the nature of the secular government that would come to power would be determined by the post-poll political situation. There were occasions in the past when the leader of the single largest party was not invited to form a government, he said. The State had not got its due share under the Central governments led by the Congress and the BJP except during 2004-2009 when the United Progressive Alliance government had been backed by the Left.
Asked about the UDF campaign highlighting political violence, the Chief Minister said that the State government had taken serious view of any incident of violence. In fact, incidents of violence were coming down in the State, he said adding that the government had taken stringent action whenever isolated incidents occurred.
