The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has asked the government to convene the Assembly to enact a legislation to overcome the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the hill shrine at Sabarimala and to restore peace.
The BJP-led Union government has also been urged to come out with an ordinance to overcome the verdict and to solve the issues that have cropped up after the apex court order and entry of women between 10 years and 50 years into the temple.
“We have put up the demand to the governments after careful thought and discussions and taking stock of the situation prevailing in the State,” Ramesh Chennithala, Leader of Opposition, told a press conference after a UDF high power meeting here on Saturday.
“We have made our stand clear. The decision taken is binding to all, including the MPs, and the UDF wants the LDF government to protect the tradition and rituals of all faith,” Mr. Chennithala said.
The UDF has also decided to organise a fast in front of the statue of Swami Vivekananda in the State capital on January 12, birth anniversary of the Swami, and to lay siege to the Secretariat and Collectorates on January 22.
Both the strikes were to protest against the government’s failure to maintain law and order and protect the lives of the people, collapse of administrative machinery and failure to protect the tradition and rituals, UDF convener Benny Behanan said.
Mr. Chennithala said the RSS, BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits were creating trouble in the State and the CPI(M) was giving green signal to the violence being unleashed by them. The Police and the Home Department had failed in maintaining law and order. The State Police Chief had said that SPs did not follow the directive and lawlessness prevailed, he said.
The Chief Minister had not acted despite the houses of political leaders being attacked. The aim was to create communal polarisation in the State and weaken the Congress. “The Chief Minister is playing wrong politics and he will not succeed,” he said.
To a query, Mr. Chennithala said the trade unions of the Congress and other parties of the UDF would participate in the two-day general strike from Monday midnight. “Instructions have been given to ensure that it is not turned into a hartal,” he added.