On a visit to Kerala Tuesday, Modi tore into the CPI(M)-led LDF government over the Sabarimala temple issue, saying this will go down as “one of the most shameful behaviour” by any party and government in the country. Since the shrine opened for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku festivities on November 17, it witnessed massive protests by devotees and right-wing outfits against the state government’s decision to implement the Supreme Court’s order, allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the Sabarimala issue in a rally on Tuesday were “very unfortunate”.
Speaking with media, Chandy said: “The Prime minister’s comments on Sabarimala were very unfortunate. We expected that he will propose some solution to solve this issue, but the Prime Minister did not do like that”.
He further refuted PM Modi’s ‘double standard’ accusations on the Congress, saying that his party has a definite stand on the Sabarimala issue.
“We gave a new affidavit, withdrawing the affidavit filed by the LDF, to protect the interests of the devotees. Our stand is very clear, we are with the devotees and at the same time we are against taking political advantage of the Sabarimala issue,” Chandy said.
“We have no confusion, our stand is not a new stand. We took the stand when we were in power, we withdrawn of the affidavit of the LDF government and we gave affidavit in consultation of all consent people,” he added.
During his rally on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the LDF’s conduct on the Sabarimala issue “will go down in history as one of the most shameful behaviours by any party and government”. He also accused the Congress party-led UDF of having “multiple stands”, saying “they say one thing in Parliament but a different thing in Pathanamthitta”.
Commenting on PM Modi’s reported claims of creating a Tripura-like effect in Kerala, Chandy the senior Congress leader said, “That is only a dream, nothing will happen in Kerala”.
He also accused the BJP of using money, power and the central government’s influence to destabilise the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka.
“This is very dangerous. Confidence in the Central government is very important. Ours is a federal system, so Centre and the state government have to work together. We have to respect the democratic principles both ways, in the state relations and the administrative matters,” the senior Congress leader said.
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