Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah declared that his party will stand behind those protesting against the allowing of women of a particular age group entry into the Sabarimala temple.
Addressing party workers and supporters at a public rally in Kerala’s Kannur, the BJP chief also accused the Communist government of the state of creating violence in the name of the Supreme Court verdict.
“Kerala government is running a cycle of suppressing the devotees of Sabarimala temple. More than 2000 activists and workers from BJP, RSS and other organisations have been arrested,” Shah said.
“BJP and its workers stand like a rock at Sabarimala with devotees of Ayyappa,” he said, warning the state government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan not to hurt the feelings of the devotees of Lord Ayyappa.
The 54-year-old BJP chief also accused that the Kerala government of removing the “real devotees from inside the Sabarimala temple who fought for their right”.
“How can one fundamental right overwrite the other fundamental right?” he asked while pointing out that there are many temples in India where men are barred from entry.
“I want to tell those who want to foment violence in the name of court judgement that there are various temples which run on different rules, norms, traditions and rituals,” he said.
Attacking both Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front, Shah said that the two alliances are trying to destroy our culture and development.
“The development of Kerala is possible only under the leadership of PM Modi,” pitched Shah.
The BJP president, who inaugurated a new district office of the party in Kannur, told the party workers that justice will be delivered to the families of the karyakartas who have lost their lives in political violence in the state. The BJP chief said that as many as 120 BJP workers died have lost their lives in Kannur alone.