Is fighting bigotry arrogance, asks Kerala CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan once again made it clear that he is neither ready to change his style of functioning nor shift his stand on Sabarimala.
"If resisting communalism is seen as arrogance, then I am not going to shed my arrogance," the chief minister said in the assembly on Wednesday.
On the debacle faced by his party in the Lok Sabha election, he said: "The setback we suffered is just temporary and no one should take pride in their victory."
It is a fact that the LDF faced a severe defeat, he said, adding that the Left front's detractors were able to wean away a section of people who were with the front. They could mislead them. But all of it is temporary and those who are sitting pretty with success should understand it, said the chief minister.
In Sabarimala, the government has only executed the court verdict. As a constitutional body, the government has to abide by the Supreme Court's verdict. "Any state government would have done what the LDF government has done," he said.
Hence, the state government had to give protection to the women who came for darshan at the hill shrine. The government had to take tough action against miscreants who blocked the entry of the women. "Can a democratically-elected government block the entry of women when the Supreme Court has allowed them entry," asked Vijayan.
Giving protection to the women who came to Sabarimala was the responsibility of the government and it will continue to do so. It was the communal forces which tried to spark tension at Sabarimala. The state government could not remain as a mute spectator when an attempt was made to destabilise communal harmony in the state, he added.
The government is committed in ensuring protection to women in the state and also to uphold the values of renaissance movement, the chief minister added.