Will enact law to protect Sabarimala Ayyappa temple's customs if voted to power:Cong-led UDF

Ahead of thestate assembly polls, the Congress-led United Democratic Frontin Kerala said on Saturday if the UDF was voted to power, itwould pass a legislation on Sabarimala to protect the customsof the shrine, a move dubbed by the ruling Left front as to''fool the people of the state''.

Senior Congress leader and MLA ThiruvanchoorRadhakrishnan ''released a draft law'', saying it would bepassed if the UDF comes to power after the elections.

''We will enact the law if we come to power.Underthis proposed law, the ban on unauthorised entry intoSabarimala will be ensured in consultation with the TantriViolation of customs/rituals can attract imprisonment of up totwo years,'' Radhakrishnan told reporters at Kottayam.

The Congress had recently asked the Left governmentto seek legal remedies to ''heal the wounds'' created in societydue to its alleged ''hasty decision'' to implement the Supremecourt verdict of September 2018 allowing women of all agegroups to enter the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.

The southern state had witnessed protests by rightwing and BJP workers against allowing women in the banned10-50 age group being allowed in the shrine.

Numerous review petitions are pending in the apexcourt.

However, CPI(M) state secretary in-charge AVijayaraghavan claimed the UDF was fooling the people as itwas not possible to formulate a law in a matter which is underthe consideration of the Supreme Court.

''The UDF announcement that a new law will beformulated against the women's entry into Sabarimala is justto fool the people of the state.First of all, the UDF is notgoing to come back to power.'' ''Secondly, it's not possible to make a law in amatter which is under the consideration of a larger bench ofthe Supreme Court.There is no legal authority to do so,''Vijayaraghavan said.

The ''draft law'' proposed by the UDF contains entryrestrictions with the permission of the temple Tantri(priest).

Vijayaraghavan said the state government will actaccording to the decision of the Supreme Court and claimed thenew announcement was part of the UDF agenda to fool thepeople.

On Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had saidthe UDF was raking up the Sabarimala issue because of thecoming Assembly elections.