Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Kerala said that they will intensify the agitation against the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala and extend it across the State. As many as 41 Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leaders, lead by State president Prakash Babu, will violate prohibitory orders at Nilackal on Thursday, BJP State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has said.
Mr. Pillai told reporters that the number of leaders has been limited to avoid tension and the party has decided to peacefully violate the ban orders. The party would launch a month-long campaign as a follow up to the Save Sabarimala long march and hold prayer sessions in panchayats all over the State. The protest prayer sessions planned in the precinct of Sabarimala till the temple closes after monthly poojas would be peaceful, he said.
He demanded a judicial probe into the incidents that took place at Pamba and Nilackal on Wednesday and accused the government of posting members of Kerala Armed Police battalion without name plates for fomenting trouble. He alleged that the 300 KAP personnel posted on duty were mostly CPI(M) men recruited in violation of norms and were deployed before giving adequate training.
Mr. Pillai alleged that the police acted in a discriminatory manner by targeting BJP and RSS workers who were peacefully chanting prayers and bhajans at Nilackal. Even women members of the erstwhile royal family members of Pandalam were arrested. He accused Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran of provoking the faithful. Never before had the government held a review meeting at Sannidhanam — this was deliberately convened at the Sannidhanam on Wednesday to provoke the faithful, said Mr. Pillai. “The government’s intention is to provoke the believers, create trouble and denigrate Sabarimala. This attempt of the government would not be accepted,” he said.
He also said that the lone BJP MLA, O. Rajagopal will demand to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the issue. He accused the media of ignoring positive developments in Sabarimala and concentrating on negative campaigning