Sabarimala verdict: Sitaram Yechury fumes at Ayyappa 'fans'

As the Sabarimala temple controversy continues to keep Kerala on tenterhooks, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday lashed out at both the BJP and the Congress for playing politics by arousing religious passions to gain electoral benefits.

Yechury blamed the BJP and the RSS for deliberately arousing passions to gain footprints in Kerala for electoral gains.

"If the BJP and the RSS are against Supreme Court verdict, the only way to circumvent it through a legislative process in parliament. If they are really serious to circumvent the verdict the parliament is the route. Why are they not taking this route? This is clearly a game of communal polarisation."

The CPM leader who has maintained cordial relations with Congress at the Centre did not mince words to hit out against it for staging protests at Nilakkal against the entry of women of menstruating age into the temple.

"This is most unfortunate that the sadly the local unit of Congress has also joined the protest whereas the central leadership had welcomed the judgement of the Supreme Court. This has exposed their duplicity," he said.

Earlier, Yechury had warned Congress that the stand taken by its local unit in Kerala to oppose the implementation of the court's verdict would help the BJP-RSS campaign against secular-democratic values and the right to equality enshrined in the constitution.

Interestingly, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is the lone voice from the party that has come out in favour of the Supreme Court verdict.

The fight is between Hindu Renaissance and Hindu Obscurantism. Which is which is decided by the Constitution and interpreted by apex court.
Subramanian Swamy, Senior BJP leader

CPM wary of 'Save Sabarimala' campaign?

• The BJP-led NDA is hoping to cash in on the Ayyappa devotees' sentiments in Kerala.
   
• It's hoping to make a dent in the votebank of Left and Congress and possibly win first Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
   
• In the last general elections, it was the Congress led UPA that won 12 out of the 20 seats the state has got to offer.
   
• The BJP's 'Save Sabarimala' campaign has so far recieved a big response, including from women.
   
• This has forced the Congress-led UDF also come out in support of the agitation.
   
• The BJP has also received support from non-NDA parties over the Save Sabarimala campaign.
   
• MLA PC George, who won as an Independent, has also come out in support of BJP stir.
   
• The BJP may try its best to keep the issue simmering so as to milk it to the maximum.
   
• However Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan seems to be determined to thwart the BJP designs.

WHERE THEY STAND

Stern action will be taken against anyone who prevents devotees from going to Sabarimala. No question of any rethink of government’s decision against seeking a review of the Supreme Court order. We will go by what SC says.
Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Chief Minister

The Communists have never accepted religion, and hence they have been losing in state after state. When we ask the government to file a review petition, we are not asking for additional constitutional rights.
Muralidhar Rao, BJP general secretary 

Attack on mediapersons and on women who have decided to go to Sabarimala shrine are organised and led by the BJP-RSS combine. 
D Raja, CPI leader 

It is the police that is provoking the Sabarimala devotees. We fully stand by the devotees.
K Sudhakaran, Congress leader

We have filed a review petition and are hoping the Supreme Court will show benevolence. We are also organising a Gandhian protest where thousands of people will lie on the road. We are requesting, if someone wants to intrude into Sabarimala if someone wants to defile and attack our faith, they have to step up on our chest and do it.
Rahul Easwar, Social activist

The people opposing this welcome step are doing it in the wrong way. Women have been threatened to be ripped off, buses are being stopped and people have threatened of suicide. If someone wants to oppose the group of women who want to enter the temple, they should do it in a non-violent Gandhian way
Trupti Desai, Women activist