Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 14 : BJP leader V Muraleedharan accused the Kerala government of attempting to mislead people on the Sabarimala temple issue, alleging that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is trying to create a false impression of changing its stance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking tohere, Muraleedharan said the state government was trying to project that it was taking a U-turn on the issue of entry of young women into the Sabarimala temple, while in reality, it was avoiding a clear position.
"They (state government) are trying to create an impression that they are taking a U-turn. In fact, they are trying to fool the people by not taking a stand and giving an impression that they are changing their stand," Muraleedharan said.
He further alleged that the move was politically motivated and aimed at influencing voters. "This is sort of an effort to hoodwink the people, to fool the people because there is an election. They want to create an impression among the common man, among the believers, that the government is not against the believers. But at the same time, they are not changing their party position," he added.
The remarks come amid renewed political debate over the Sabarimala temple issue, with several parties accusing the LDF government of shifting its stance on the entry of women of menstruating age into the shrine.
Earlier, Congress MP K Suresh also criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, alleging that the LDF's changed position on the matter was an attempt to appease voters ahead of the Assembly elections. He pointed out that the CPI(M)-led government had earlier supported the entry of young women into the temple through affidavits submitted before the Supreme Court.
The controversy dates back to the 2018 Supreme Court verdict that allowed women aged between 10 and 50 years to enter the Sabarimala temple, holding that the traditional restriction violated Article 25(1) of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of religion.
The verdict triggered widespread protests across Kerala, with several Hindu organisations and devotees opposing the decision. The issue remains politically sensitive in the state as a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing the review of the verdict on April 7.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor