Kerala BJP accuses CPI(M) of using hijab row to divert from Sabarimala case

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday accused the ruling CPI(M) of "manufacturing" the hijab controversy to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold missing case.

Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar said the row over hijab use at St Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi, was being used to shift focus away from the alleged theft of 4.5 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple.

"This is a political tactic to draw attention away from the Sabarimala gold case. It will not succeed," he said, alleging the role of General Education Minister V Sivankutty in "manufacturing" a row over the matter.

"The BJP will stand firmly to protect the rights of the school and its students," he told reporters at Tripunithura near here.

He criticised State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board Chairman, demanding that both resign immediately.

"If they have any sense of decency, they should step down. Otherwise, we will seek a central agency investigation," the BJP leader said.

His statement came hours after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said. Chandrasekhar also commented on the alleged involvement of the SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami in the school dispute.

"It is not for such organisations to decide our state's culture or secular values. That right belongs to the people of Kerala -- Hindus, Christians, and Muslims alike," he said.

Urging Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan not to "play drama" over the Sabarimala gold issue, Chandrasekhar added, "This is not just a lapse. It is a crime. The Chief Minister must take responsibility.