Sabarimala:LDF govt violated centuries old custom, says Shah

BJP chief Amit Shah Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Kerala's CPI(M)-led LDF government over the Sabarimala women entry issue, accusing it of violating centuries' old customs and destroying the sanctity of the Lord Ayyappa temple.

The BJP chief alleged that the State government unleashed violence on the devotees of Sabarimala under the pretext of implementing the Supreme Court order permitting entry of all women into the ancient shrine.

"What message does Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan want to send to people through the violence on the devotees?" Shah said at an election meeting of BJP's candidate for the Thrissur Lok Sabha Seat Suresh Gopi in Thrissur.

The BJP chief's attack on the left government comes two days after Vijayan claimed it was the Centre which had asked his government to impose prohibitory orders in Sabarimala during frenzied protests in 2018 over entry of women of all age groups into the shrine.

Shah alleged that the government had unconstitutionally recruited DYFI cadres in police to destroy the sanctity of the temple.

"The DYFI cadre were recruited unconstitutionally in police force by the state government. They are destroying the sanctity of the temple," he said.

Backing the agitation by devotees to protect the centuries' old customs of the shrine, Shah said "We are with the faithful.

We will stand like a rock with you in your fight till the last," Shah said and noted that the BJP has mentioned its manifesto that "we will do everything to protect believers."
Addressing an election rally, organised in Aluva for BJP candidates Alphons Kannanthanam in Ernakulam Lok Sabha seat and A N Radhakrishnan in Chalakkudy, Shah alleged that around 2000 devotees of Sabarimala were behind bars "due to the excesses of the Communists."
"Can there be two Prime Ministers in a country?, Shah asked and said "until there is life in the last BJP karyakarta's body, no one can separate Kashmir from India."
"Kashmir is an integral part of India and none can separate it. Congress and Communists can't keep our country secure and safe, only PM Modi is capable of doing this."
Taking a dig at the CPI(M), he said the Left party leaders rake up issues of lynching incidents in other parts of the country and sought to know "why the so-called champions of human rights not raising such issues happening in Kerala."