THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has assured to bring in a legislation to reinstate the ban on women of menstrual age at Sabarimala temple if Rahul Gandhi becomes Prime Minister.
"The political interests of the BJP and the CPM worsened the issue. But I categorically state that if the Rahul Gandhi-led UPA government comes to power at the Centre, we will enact a legislation to preserve the customs and traditions of the temple," he told reporters here on Friday.
Chennithala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was shedding crocodile tears on the issue while he had every opportunity to enact a legislation and protect the temple's customs.
"The BJP viewed it as a golden opportunity for electoral gains. The CPM stood for lifting the age bar not because of progressive thinking but for weakening democratic forces," he said.
Chennithala said that the Congress and the UDF opted for Constitutional and legal options after the SC verdict came lifting the age bar.
"We convened a meeting of former TDB presidents and members. As decided by the meeting, former TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan was assigned to file a review petition which was submitted through Manu Abhishek Singhvi, eminent lawyer and Congress leader," Chennithala said.
"While Narendra Modi and Pinarayi Vijayan took harsh steps hurting the believers, we stood for preserving the temple's customs. UDF legislators staged satyagraha at the Assembly for 11 days to revoke the prohibitory orders clamped at Sabarimala," Chennithala added.