THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If the state government has any sincerity, it should withdraw its earlier affidavit favouring women’s entry to Sabarimala and file a fresh one that represents the sentiments of lakhs of Ayyappa devotees, the BJP has demanded. The party also demanded that around 3,000 ‘bogus’ criminal cases filed against Sangh Parivar workers and devotees during the Sabarimala agitation last year be revoked.
“If there is sincerity in the recent stance of the Kerala government, the BJP welcomes it. But it is for the government and the ruling party to prove their sincerity. It is also a chance for the government to rectify their mistakes,” BJP spokesperson M S Kumar told reporters here on Saturday.
In a major climbdown from its earlier stance, the state government had on Friday clarified that it will not give protection to young women who want to visit the hill shrine.
Kumar said the fresh affidavit by the state government, seeking the protection of customs and rituals of Sabarimala shrine, would bring more credibility to that argument before the apex court as only individuals and organisations have been demanding it till now.
Though it has not stated explicitly, the government seems to have realised that it has erred by taking actions in haste after last year’s Sabarimala verdict. Hence, cases filed even against women who carried out ‘namajapam’ as a mark of protest, should be immediately revoked, he demanded.
Kumar said Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has echoed the BJP’s declared stance that Sabrimala was not a place for activists to run amok.
Centre given short shrift
M S Kumar said the state govt has shown its ‘petty’ mindset by ignoring representatives of the Union Govt for the inauguration of the Edamon -Kochi 400 KV transmission corridor of the Kudankulam power project. Though the entire amount for the project was spent by the Centre, no representatives from the Union govt was invited, he alleged.