Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has termed the Supreme Court decision to hear the review petitions pertaining to women’s entry to the Sabarimala temple, as a major set back to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
Addressing media persons at Erumely on the sidelines of his ‘Save Sabarimala rath yatra,’ on Tuesday, Mr. Pillai said the court’s decision served a shot in the arm for the NDA’s efforts to protect Sabarimala. He demanded an apology from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other CPI(M) leaders for turning Sabarimala into a riot zone.
‘‘The Chief Minister is sowing wind to reap the whirlwind. Now that the court has decided to consider the review petitions on a later date, he should refrain from implementing the earlier order permitting women of all ages to the temple till further order,’’ Mr. Pillai said.
He alleged that the LDF government, by maintaining culpable silence in the Supreme Court while filing the review petitions, had betrayed the devotees. ‘‘The government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) were supposed to inform the court about the public sentiments, but unfortunately they chose to take a diametrically opposite stand in the court,’’ he said.
He reiterated that the BJP would stand by any decisions of the devotees to protect their faith. ‘‘We are not questioning the prominence of the apex court but it is our duty to stand by the devotees to protect their fundamental right to believe,’’ he said.