Yogi Adityanath slams Kerala govt over Sabarimala issue

Slamming the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala over the Sabarimala temple issue, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday said the state needs to protect the faith and beliefs of the people and should introspect on the stand taken by it.

Adityanath alleged that the state government was acting against the believers and trying to "destroy" their faith.

He also alleged that in Sabarimala and Ayodhya, attempts were being made to insult the Hindu community.

"The Karyakarthas of BJP have been jailed after being booked in false cases," Aditiyanath said, adding that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government has been using the September 28 Supreme Court verdict on the Sabarimala women's entry issue to act against the believers.

He said in Sabarimala, the agitations should be on the lines of the years-long protest that is happening in Ayodhya.

Adityanath also said the BJP workers were facing a "lot of challenges" in the state.

"The whole nation is with you on the Sabarimala issue. The nation has seen what the Kerala government has done to the devotees," Aditiyanath said, addressing party workers at Pathanamthitta district, which was the centre of the Sabarimala protests.

"We need to give a befitting reply to them in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. We need to have more MPs from Kerala to Lok Sabha to ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes back to power," Adityanath said.

The UP Chief minister also said the BJP stood with those who had protested over the Sabarimala issue.

"The Kerala government should stand with the people instead of taking an adamant stand on the matter.

The state government has been using the Supreme Court verdict to act against the believers," he said.

The apex court had on September 28 last year allowed women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, where earlier women in the menstruating age of 10-50 years were barred from offering prayers.

With the LDF government making it clear that it was constitutionally bound to implement the top court verdict, the BJP and right wing outfits and a section of devotees had launched massive and violent protests on the issue.

Aditiyanath, who was almost three hours late for the event, also referred to the ongoing Kumbh Mela in his state as an example of how to respect traditions and beliefs of the people.

"Lakhs of people are participating in the Kumbh Mela in UP. Both the Narendra Modi-led NDA and UP governments have worked together and are doing their best to provide assistance to the believers who visit the state," he said.

Like how the BJP at the Centre and the UP government have worked together to respect the rights of the believers, the Kerala government needs to respect and protect the beliefs and faith of the people in the state, he said and wanted the Kerala government to introspect on the matter.

Exuding confidence that the the BJP-led NDA government will register "big win" in the coming Lok Sabha polls, he hoped that there would be BJP MPs to the lower house from the southern state, from where party is yet to open its account to the Lok Sabha.

Adityanath said the country has made rapid progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We all know that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the country has made big strides," he told the gathering.

Adityanath had cancelled his visit to Visakhapatnam, where he was to attend the Maha Kumbhabhishekam as part of the anniversary celebrations of Sarada Peetham in the port city along with his Telengana counterpart, K Chandrashekar Rao.

Earlier, the UP chief minister addressed a meeting of the party's Pathanamthitta booth in-charges and said he was "very happy" to be in Lord Ayyappa's land.

"In Sabarimala and Ayodhya, attempts are being made to insult the Hindu community," Aditiyanath said.

He also said that in Sabarimala, the agitations should be on the lines of the years-long protest that is happening in Ayodhya.

Adityanath met office bearers from Thiruvananthapuram, Attingal, Kollam and Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituencies.

A top BJP functionary told PTI that his visit will boost the morale of the workers ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.