Bharatiya Janata Party State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has called upon the State government to stop execution of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all ages to Sabarimala till January 22, 2018.
The BJP leader was addressing a public meeting held in connection with the valedictory of the rath yatra organised by the National Democratic Alliance at the district stadium here on Tuesday evening.
Mr Pillai said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should shed his stubborn stance on the issue.He said the NDA would announce its second stage of protests in the next two days. Delivering the keynote address, NDA State convener and Bharath Dharma Jana Sena president Thushar Vellappally alleged that the Chief Minister had complicated the Sabarimala issue.
‘Setback to LDF govt’
Staff Reporter writes from Kottayam: Mr. Sreedharan Pillai termed the Supreme Court decision to hear the review petitions pertaining to women’s entry to Sabarimala a major setback to the LDF government.
Addressing mediapersons at Erumely on the sidelines of his yatra, Mr. Pillai said the court’s decision served a shot in the arm for the NDA’s efforts to protect Sabarimala. He demanded an apology from the Chief Minister and other CPI(M) leaders for turning Sabarimala into a riot zone.
“The Chief Minister is sowing wind to reap the whirlwind. Now that the court has decided to consider the review petitions on a later date, he should refrain from implementing the earlier order permitting women of all ages to the temple till further order,” Mr. Pillai said.
He alleged that the LDF government, by maintaining culpable silence in the Supreme Court while filing the review petitions, had betrayed the devotees. ‘‘The government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) were supposed to inform the court about the public sentiments, but unfortunately they chose to take a diametrically opposite stand in the court,’’ he said.
