A day after Left parties accused the saffron party of unleashing violence over Sabarimala issue and staged a walkout in Parliament, the BJP hit back warning Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to stop "state-sponsored" violence or face constitutional consequences.
On Friday night a crude bomb was thrown at the ancestral home of BJP MP V Muraleedharan in Kerala following a similar incident at a CPM leader AN Shamseer's residence. It followed Kerala police taking 33 people into preventive custody in Kannur district and arresting 110 people. Since Wednesday, police have filed over 800 cases pertaining to violence.
"We advise, warn and caution the chief minister to stop this violence. failing which the CPM government will have to face constitutional consequences...This (Sabarimala) is an issue of devotees and not an issue of the BJP. This is an issue concerning the Hindu society," said BJP national spokesperson, GVL Narasimha Rao in New Delhi on Saturday.
Rao also accused Vijayan government of politicising the Sabarimala issue and giving a free hand to his party workers and not acting on Supreme court order over control of a church between two factions. The CPM government has described as an internal property dispute that has nothing to do with unrest or is leading to violence.
"Our party workers are being targeted. The CM is using the Supreme Court order as a shield to clamp down on Hindu beliefs and BJP workers. This government is doing appeasement politics," Rao added.
The Sabarimala issue has snowballed into a major turf war after three devotees of menstrual age managed to sneak into the temple leading to the closure of temple for a day to perform purification rites. So far, 3,178 persons have been arrested in connection with violence across Kerala and as many as 1,286 cases have been registered against 37,979 persons.
Congress leader of Opposition in Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala, sought to blame both the BJP and the ruling CPM for engaging in unprecedented violence and thus making the lives of common people miserable. He urged chief minister Vijayan to take immediate steps to restore peace in the state.
3,178 persons held, cases against 40K
- 3,178 persons have been arrested in connection with violence across Kerala following Sabarimala incident and 1,286 cases have been registered against 37,979 persons
- The issue snowballed into a major turf war after 3 devotees of menstrual age managed to sneak into the temple leading to the temple performing purification rites
