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.
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"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."
The BJP president alleged that 30,000 Ayyappa devotees had been "trapped" in cases by the Left government in connection with the Sabarimala protests.
He also accused the government of targeting BJP-RSS workers in connection with the Sabarimala agitation.
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."
"In our manifesto, we have stated that we will make every effort to provide constitutional protection to Sabarimala," he said.
His attack on the left government comes on a day the CPI(M) wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora demanding action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly violating the model code of conduct and communally polarising voters by making remarks on the Sabarimala issue.
Poll authorities had in March asked political parties to refrain from soliciting votes in the name of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Sabarimala, in the elections.
On September 28 last year, a five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by the then CJI Dipak Misra, in a 4:1 verdict had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the shrine, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.
Addressing meetings in Thrissur and Aluva, Shah also took potshots at both the Congress and CPI(M) over their statements on air strikes in Pakistan's Balakot, saying only Prime Minister Narendra Modi was capable ofkeeping India safe from terrorists from across the border.
"The most important task accomplished by Modi government is to provide security to the country.During the tenure of the previous government, the country witnessed many attacks by terrorists.
We don't believe in engaging in dialogue with people who kill our brave soldiers.A befitting reply will be given to anyone who indulges in such activity," Shah said.
He also questioned the silence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's over the statement by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir.
"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."
Shah alleged that around 525 incidents of mob lynching had taken place under the Left rule in Kerala.
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."
"More than 120 karyakartas of BJP and RSS have been killed in Kerala. The most number of killings took place in the district of Kerala Chief Minister. Who is supporting this violence?" he asked.
Shah said while the UPA government gave only Rs 45,393 crore under the 13th Finance Commission, in five years, the NDA government gave Rs 1.98 lakh crore to the State under the 14th Finance Commission.
"NDA government gave around Rs 2 lakh crore for the development of Kerala. However, Kerala government has not been able to develop Kerala at expected scale," he claimed.
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