Leaders of both the BJP and the CPI(M) have different opinion on the controversial Sabarimala women’s entry issue, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran has said.
The KPCC president was addressing a press conference in Konni on Thursday.
According to him, candidates of both the parties in all the five Assembly constituencies facing byelections too have adopted different points of view on the Sabarimala women’s entry issue.
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Even the stand adopted by CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the issue were different, he alleged.
Mr. Ramachandran said the CPI(M) did not have a clear policy on various political issues, he said. The KPCC chief alleged that the BJP which tried to prop up the Sabarimala issue for political gains was not keen to protect the interests of devotees.
The BJP had umpteen opportunities to enact an appropriate legislation aimed at protecting the age-old ritualistic tradition and practices at Sabarimala.
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Ironically, the BJP had even strongly opposed a Bill moved by N.K. Premachandran in Parliament aimed at protecting the devotees’ interests at Sabarimala, he alleged.
Though Parliament could very well overcome the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala women’s entry issue through a legislation, the ruling BJP had adopted a lethargic attitude towards it with a hidden motive to misuse the issue for cheap political gains, he alleged.
Mr. Ramachandran said the Congress party had only one policy on Sabarimala and it was to stand firm by the devotees to ensure due protection of the ritualistic tradition and practices at the pilgrim centre.
Church row
He said the Congress had adopted a similar stand aimed at protecting the religious practices on the church dispute too, he said.