Cong challenges Kerala CM, CPI(M) to come clean on Sabarimala

Ahead of the upcomingassembly polls, Opposition Congress led UDF on Sundaychallenged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPIM tocome clean on the Sabarimala womens entry issue.What is the stand of the CPIM and Chief Minister onSabarimala

Ahead of the upcomingassembly polls, Opposition Congress led UDF on Sundaychallenged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI(M) tocome clean on the Sabarimala women's entry issue.

''What is the stand of the CPI(M) and Chief Minister onSabarimala? Are they with the devotees?Do they have the gutsto say they are with the devotees? Will the CMshed his fake persona of a renaissanceleader?'' Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala asked.

The LDF government had erected a 620 km ''renaissance''wall on January 1, 2019, in which lakhs of women from thenorthern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip here, hadparticipated as part of a state sponsored initiative toupholdgender equality.

The 'Women's wall' was conceived in the backdrop offrenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappaat Sabarimala after the LDF government decided to implementthe Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at theAyyappa shrine.

Two women in their forties had trekked the hill shrineaday after the human wall was erected and offered prayers,breaking the age-old custom of not allowing those in themenstrual age to pray at the Ayyappa temple.

Chennithala also wanted Vijayan to clarify if there was achange in the stand of the party and left front on the issue.

''Is he prepared to state that they would stand withdevotees?Do not hurt their sentiments further,'' he toldreporters at Malappuram.

The draft Sabarimala bill, brought out by the Congress onSaturday would be discussed by the UDF to give final touches.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in Kottayam thatthe UDF had never thought of making sabarimala apoliticalagenda during the polls.

Asked about the Marxist party's stand, CPI(M) leader MGovindan Master, said: ''let the decision of the larger benchcome.And then we will hold discussions with all sections onhow it can be implemented.'' Attacking the two fronts, BJP Keralaunit President KSurendran, said both have shifted from their traditional standwith an eye on the coming polls and are 'cheating' people.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had announced the partystand which was against the devotees,he said.

Now the UDF has said they will bring in a legislation toprotect the rights of Sabarimala devotees and they have alsoprepared a draft bill,he added.

Surendran alleged that during the height of theSabarimala protests, no Congress worker was arrested by theVijayan government while over 52,000 cases were registeredagainst activists of the BJP and right wing outfits.

Is the Pinarayi Vijayan government prepared to withdrawall the cases registered registered then and apologizeto theAyyappa devotees ? he asked.

Surendra also said if the BJP comes to power, all theDevaswom boards in the state would be dissolved, politiciansremoved from its administrations and believers appointed.