As poll campaign heats up in Kerala, CPM reaps the whirlwind over Sabarimala issue

The ruling CPM-led LDF in Kerala, which already burnt its fingers over the Sabarimala women entry issue in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, seems to be still reaping the whirlwind with the Congress and the BJP camps targeting the government again during the ongoing campaigns ahead of the Assembly elections.

While Kerala Devaswom Minister and CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran recently said that he was quite sad about the incidents at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in connection with the women entry issue in 2018-19, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday stepped in to justify the stand of the ruling LDF in Kerala on the Sabarimala issue.

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Yechury said in an interview to a news channel that he doesn't know why Kadakampally Surendran regretted over the Sabarimala incidents as the LDF government only implemented a Supreme Court order, which was the obligation of any elected government.

Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the CPM was maintaining one stand to woo the voters by expressing regrets over the Sabarimala women entry issue, while their real stand was otherwise. If the Left Front really regretted the issue, the LDF government should have altered the affidavit submitted before the apex court favouring the entry of women of all ages to the temple, said Chandy.

BJP state president K Surendran said that the real face of the CPM on the Sabarimala women entry issue was once again exposed with the fresh statement of Yechury.

The BJP is making use of the Sabrimala women entry issue mainly to garner votes in Hindu-dominated constituencies.

In a damage control measure over the Sabrimala issue, the LDF government had recently decided to withdraw cases registered against hundreds of persons in connection with the protests staged against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple during 2018-19.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the LDF got defeated in 19 of the 20 seats in Kerala and a review of the party found that the handling of the Sabarimala women entry matter as one key reasons for the setback.