BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday extended full support to the ongoing protest against the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple and condemned the arrests made at the hill shrine, saying the CPI(M)-led LDF government is trying to “suppress” the agitation by force.
Addressing party workers after inaugurating the district BJP office in Kannur, Shah said the state government was using police force to challenge the protest by devotees.
He slammed the arrest of over 2,000 devotees, including RSS and Sangh Parivar activists, across the state agitating against the entry of women of all ages into the temple.
Shah, who began his speech with the ‘Swamiya Saranam Ayyappa’ mantra, said the LDF government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would have to pay a “heavy price” if the suppression of the agitation continues.
In a warning to Vijayan, he said the effort by his government to clamp down on the agitation amounted to “playing with fire”.
“The chief Minister must stop the brutality in the name of implementing the SC verdict,” he said, adding that even women in the state were against the government move to implement the top court’s order.
Alleging that the Left government was trying to “destroy” the Sabarimala temple and “Hindu traditions”, the BJP chief said the saffron party won’t allow the CPI(M)-led government to “gamble with Hindu faith”.
“There is no restriction for women to offer prayers in any other Ayyappa temple…. The uniqueness of the Sabarimala shrine has to be protected,” he said.
“The communist government is conspiring against temples. They have created an Emergency-like situation in Kerala,” he added.
Shah made it clear that the BJP was all set to make the Sabarimala issue one of its main agendas in the state. He ended his speech by asking party workers to say ‘Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa’.