Accusing the State government of attempting to suppress the ‘struggle’ of Ayyappa devotees in the name of implementing the Supreme Court verdict on entry of all women to the Sabarimala temple, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has cautioned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that BJP workers will not hesitate to pull down his government if the suppression continues.
Addressing a public function of party workers after inaugurating the new district committee office of the BJP here on Saturday, Mr. Shah said the entire country would join Ayyappa devotees if the Communist government in the State used its force to suppress their struggle. “I would like to warn Chief Minister (Pinarayi) Vijayan that if his government does not stop suppressing the devotees, BJP workers will not hesitate to bring down his government,” he said alleging that over 1,500 Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers were being deployed at Sabarimala in the name of police arrangement.
Stating that Kerala was today witnessing a struggle between the forces of faith and forces of the government, the BJP president said that thousands of workers of the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Nair Service Society (NSS) and Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) were being jailed under non-bailable charges as part of suppressing Ayyappa devotees. The State government was hastily implementing the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala issue when there were several verdicts of the apex court that were yet to be implemented.
On court orders
Mr. Shah called upon courts to issue orders that could be practically implemented. The courts should henceforth refrain from issuing orders that could not be implemented. The apex court order on the Sabarimala issue invoked Article 14 of the Constitution, while Articles 25 and 26 guarantee citizens’ religious freedom, he said wondering how one fundamental right could violate another fundamental right. Women were enjoying equal status under Hindu tradition, he said adding that there was diversity in the Hindu religion. Gender equality was not something that should be achieved only through temple prayer, he said.
The BJP president said that if the Chief Minister had shown a semblance of his swiftness on Sabarimala to mitigate the suffering of the victims of the floods, the State government could be said to have discharged its duties. As he had failed to do that, Mr. Vijayan had no moral right to continue as Chief Minister, Mr. Shah said.
