The opposition parties in Kerala, BJP, Congress-led UDF and Janpaksham, on Thursday staged a boycott of the meeting called by state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss the vexed Sabarimala issue. Vijayan said his government was duty-bound to implement the Supreme Court order.
The opposition leaders alleged that the government did not change its stance which was anti-Sabarimala. The devotees of Lord Ayyappa were agitated against the government’s position with the regard to the implementation of the Supreme Court order which allowed the entry of women of all ages to Sabarimala. The apex court had done away with the restriction on women of fertile age.
The Chief Minister was not ready to listen to any suggestions put forward by the opposition, said Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. He asked the government to go slow on implementation of the Sabarimala order as a majority of the people are opposed to it.
BJP leader PS Sreedharan Pillai said the government is trying to impose its ideology on devotees. He said the party will stand with devotees on the issue and oppose any attempt to destroy Sabarimala. The party would explore the possibilities of intensifying the protests and spreading it to the nearby states.
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