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Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kummanam Rajasekharan on Saturday slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government's shift in stance regarding the 2018 Sabarimala women's entry case, demanding that the state government must formally withdraw all cases registered against demonstrators during the protests.
Speaking to ANI, he further accused the Kerala Chief Minister of attempting to capitalise on the new Sabarimala policy to gain an advantage in the upcoming state elections. "The U-turn of the state government in the subject matter regarding women's entry in Sabarimala temple clearly shows that they want to take advantage of this new policy in the next election... What about the people who have been jailed for conducting agitation earlier regarding this issue?... There are so many cases against them... The BJP now demands that all the cases against the demonstrators should be withdrawn since the government has changed their policy..." said Rajasekharan. The Left Democratic Front (LDF)-led Kerala government has shifted its stance on the Sabarimala temple entry issue, informing the Supreme Court that it now supports the continuation of traditional restrictions barring women between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the shrine. This position marks a clear departure from the state's 2018 support for unrestricted access, and this move is widely seen as a strategic move to align with devotee sentiments ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. As a result, many opposition leaders have called the position of the Kerala government regarding the Sabarimala temple entry a U-turn. Congress MP K Suresh, criticising Pinarayi Vijayan's Left Democratic Front (LDF), alleged that it is a way to appease the voters ahead of the Assembly elections. Speaking to ANI, Suresh said that initially, former Chief Minister of Kerala, VS Achuthanandan, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that women should be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple. "The CPM-led government, when Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister in Kerala, changed their own affidavit stating that young women can also enter the Sabarimala temple. That is totally objectionable because the Oommen Chandy government gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that in Sabarimala temple, there is a custom, there is a ritual," he said. He further alleged that when the Pinarayi Vijayan government assumed office, it reaffirmed the position established by the affidavit filed during the V.S. Achuthanandan administration. He argued that this decision contributed to the LDF's poor performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and asserted that the government's current shift is a calculated move to appease voters ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. "When the Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power, the Supreme Court asked them to comment on the entry of young women in the Sabarimala. At that time, they changed the affidavit given by the Oommen Chandy government and gave the same affidavit as that of Achuthanandan. Then, the Kerala Government of Pinarai Vijayan implemented the Supreme Court judgement. The judgement stated that on the basis of the State Government's affidavit, young women can enter Sabarimala. That decision led to agitation from Hindu organisations, including the Nair Service Society and political parties, resulting in violence, arrests, and resistance from devotees. In the 2019 elections, the LDF was badly defeated; out of 20 seats, they lost 19. Now, in a complete U-turn, the Pinarayi Vijayan Government opposes the entry of young women--simply to appease voters ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Why did they change their statement? Because of the Assembly elections. After elections, they may again change," he said. On April 7, a nine-judge Bench will begin hearing the review of the 2018 five-judge Bench's verdict in the Sabarimala case. The SC Bench had then held that prohibiting women between the ages of 10 and 50 years from entering the Sabarimala Temple violated Article 25(1) of the Constitution. (ANI)
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