Key Points
- Chandrasekhar alleges CPI-M and Congress disrupted temple traditions in 2018
- Claims BJP protesters were jailed while Congress remained silent
- Accuses opposition of making a U-turn ahead of elections
Thiruvananthapuram, April 7. Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kerala President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday accused the CPI-M and Congress of using the matter related to the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple as an "emotional issue" to garner votes in the Assembly elections, scheduled for April 9.
His comments came as a nine-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant began hearing, on Tuesday, the long-pending Sabarimala review matter, involving a batch of petitions raising significant constitutional questions on religious freedom and gender equality.
"The case of Sabarimala is a classic example of how the CPI-M and the Congress have tried to harm a group of people who believed in Sabarimala by trying to disrupt and alter the traditions of that temple in 2018," Chandrasekhar told IANS.
"When the BJP and many of the Malayalis protested against it, they were thrown into jail, and cases were filed against thousands of people. The Congress maintained a studied silence and supported the CPI-M on this issue of bringing women into Sabarimala," he said.
Political Allegations Over Sabarimala Traditions
"Today, just before the election, the same CPI-M is making a U-turn, the same Congress and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is trying to act as if they have something to say about Sabarimala."
Chandrasekhar also alleged that the person at the centre of the Sabarimala gold theft case "is seen in photographs with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan."
"So on what basis are these people, both the Congress and CPI-M, days before the election, trying to make use of Sabarimala as an emotional issue to get votes?" he said.
Constitutional Bench Reviews Sabarimala Petitions
He further asserted that it is the BJP which has consistently maintained its stand on the Sabarimala since 2018, "about protecting the faith of devotees".
Moreover, Chandrasekhar accused Rahul Gandhi of being a "principal actor" and "beneficiary" in the alleged National Herald scam.
Hitting back at Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who, while alleging a "nexus" between the CPI-M and the BJP, said, "Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's godfather is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is sitting in Delhi. He cannot follow the footsteps of PM Modi", Chandrasekhar said: "You are the Chief Minister of a state, you came to power in Telangana by making promises. You have not fulfilled a single one of those promises. You go back to Telangana. Do what you are supposed to do."
–IANS
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