Raking up the Sabarimala issue in poll-bound Kerala, BJP national chief J P Nadda on Saturday attacked the ruling LDF, saying it had "crushed" the sentiments of devotees in the whole of south India, while Congress only paid "lip service" to their stir.
He also assured that the saffron party would safeguard the traditions of the hilltop shrine and that the political involvement in temple administration would go forever. Nadda took out a roadshow atChakarakkalin Kannur's Dharmadam assembly constituency, where BJP has fielded K Padmanabhan to lock horns with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
He attacked the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF, saying they are "ideologically confused "as they were fighting each other in Kerala and were"bhai-bhai" (brothers) in West Bengal. Nadda harped on the same issue at a rally at Thodupuzha in the Idukki district, saying both the Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front are corrupt and ideologically bankrupt.
Taking on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also in Kerala to campaign for the April 6 assembly polls, he demanded to know what he was doing in the southern state while Bengal was voting, with the commencement of the first phase of elections in the eastern state on Saturday. "The LDF has crushed the sentiments of people of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the whole of south India.
About the Sabarimala temple, we have been very clear about (protecting) the traditions. All those were crushed by the CPI(M) government, which is now shedding crocodile tears. Throughout the Sabarimala agitation, Congress was doing lip service. They never came forward," he said.
He assured that the BJP in the coming days would see to it that the traditions of the temple were kept intact and religious sentiments of devotees were not hurt. "...Not only that, we will ensure that the political involvement in the administration of the temple will go forever. That's what we would like to share with you. This is how we plan to move forward," Nadda said.
Kerala had witnessed violent protests by a section of devotees and right-wing outfits after the Left government decided to implement September 28, 2018, Supreme Court verdict, allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. As per temple tradition, women in the 10-50 age group are barred from trekking to the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, a celibate.
Attacking the LDF, Nadda said it is known for the gold smuggling case in which he alleged that even ministers were involved, and the UDF, for the solar scam. "Both the fronts are corrupt. In the gold scam, even the ministers are involved. "The chief minister's office is involved in the gold scam. The investigation is going on. He (Vijayan) asked for the probe by the central agencies. When the investigation reached his office, they are saying the Centre is attacking the state government," he said.
"He (CM) claims to be so clean. He wears a dhoti and white veshti. It's very white. It's actually not white, but full of black spots," Nadda said.
The Gold smuggling case relates to the seizure of about 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore from a diplomatic suitcase at Thiruvananthapuram International airport in July 2020, The solar scam, which surfaced during the tenure of then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in June 2013, pertains to involvement of some of his staff in allegedly cheating several people of crores of rupees by main accused Saritha Nair and her husband by offering solar panel solutions.
Nadda, who is on his second visit to the state after the announcement of the Kerala Assembly election dates, also took out roadshows in Nemom and Vattiyoorkavu constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram district, where Kummanam Rajeshekharan and V V Rajesh are the party candidates