Sabarimala women entry: Govt, party stand need not be same, says CPI (M)

Palakkad (Kerala): CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan on Monday said the stand adopted by the party and that of its government need not necessarily be the same on the contentious Sabarimala Temple women's entry, which has resurfaced ahead of the upcoming elections in the state.

Addressing reporters here, he said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had earlier supported the entry of women of all age groups into the hill shrine in accordance with the verdict of the Supreme Court.

"The stand adopted by the party is a different matter. The position taken by the party and the government may not be the same. The government will always have its own stand," Govindan said.

Replying to a query, he said it could not be assumed that the position taken by the CPI(M) as a party or by the LDF as a front would be implemented as such by the government.

He also rejected suggestions that the Sabarimala issue posed any predicament for the CPI(M).

After a brief hiatus, the women's entry issue resurfaced on Sunday, triggering a fresh political debate in Kerala, with the opposition urging the LDF government to clarify its stand on the entry of young women into the shrine.

The controversy has led to a renewed war of words between leaders of the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress, as the Supreme Court, on Monday, considered review and writ petitions related to its 2018 verdict permitting the entry of women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa temple.

The SC said that a nine-judge bench will commence final hearing on a batch of petitions relating to discrimination against women in religions and at religious places, including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple, on April 7.

While the Congress had demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan make the government's position clear before the apex court, the CPI(M) maintained that it could not disclose what the government would submit in court.

"Why are you showing undue haste in the matter and seeking an immediate reply from the party and the government," Govindan asked.

In 2018, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on women of menstruating age entering the Sabarimala temple, terming the restriction unconstitutional. The verdict had triggered widespread protests in the state and the matter remains under consideration by a larger bench.

The CPI (M)-led LDF government had earlier faced criticism from a section of Ayyappa devotees and the Sangh Parivar for facilitating the entry of two women of menstruating age into the temple.