The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has decided to give permission to party leaders and workers to participate in the ongoing agitations seeking a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict on the entry of women to Sabarimala, besides reaffirming the party’s stand that it stands on the side of believers.
Briefing mediapersons on the outcome of the meetings of the political affairs committee and District Congress Committee presidents held here over the last two days, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran warned the State government about the dangers of creating a communal divide and ignoring the strong protests of devotees against its stand on filing a review petition.
Mr. Ramachandran maintained that the Congress had consistently stood by the believers, a stand that dated back to the Shah Banoo case, irrespective of the setbacks the party received. The KPCC stood by the 1991 High Court verdict delivered by Justice Paripoornan with regard to the entry of women to Sabarimala and no change in the stand was warranted.
The Communist Part of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the BJP-RSS were trying to fish in troubled waters by communalising and politicising the issue. The Congress was not prepared to convert Sabarimala into a tension-prone area. Hence, it would not organise any agitations under the party banner, he said.
If the BJP in Kerala had any commitment to the Sabarimala issue, it should put pressure on its government at the Centre to bring in a legislation to overcome the Supreme Court verdict. The onus was on the Chief Minister to explain why the government showed haste in implementing the Supreme Court verdict, without paying heed to the protests that had witnessed women taking to the street against its stand. Ignoring such protests was fraught with danger. Such a hurry was not seen in several other Supreme Court verdicts, including the one banning bars along national highways.
Mr. Ramachandran criticised CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for his uncharitable comment that Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala was a BJP agent. The Chief Minister’s reference to the role of communists in the renaissance movement in the State was hollow, because most of the social reform movements predated the formation of the Communist party, he said.