BJP leader V Muraleedharan accused the Kerala government of attempting to mislead people on the Sabarimala temple issue, alleging that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is trying to create a false impression of changing its stance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking to ANI here, Muraleedharan said the state government was trying to project that it was taking a U-turn on the issue of entry of young women into the Sabarimala temple, while in reality, it was avoiding a clear position.
“They (state government) are trying to create an impression that they are taking a U-turn. In fact, they are trying to fool the people by not taking a stand and giving an impression that they are changing their stand,” Muraleedharan said.He further alleged that the move was politically motivated and aimed at influencing voters. “This is sort of an effort to hoodwink the people, to fool the people because there is an election. They want to create an impression among the common man, among the believers, that the government is not against the believers. But at the same time, they are not changing their party position,” he added.
The controversy dates back to the 2018 Supreme Court verdict that allowed women aged between 10 and 50 years to enter the Sabarimala temple, holding that the traditional restriction violated Article 25(1) of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of religion.