Thiruvananthapuram: The opposite Congress in Kerala on Sunday attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Sabarimala issue, saying people would not tolerate the 'drama' being played by the saffron party in the name of Lord Ayyappa and that the devotees have been "cheated".
Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal alleged that the party had "cheated" the devotees and "are sincere to Sabarimala only when it comes to election and voting".
The senior Congress leader alleged that the Centre and the state were hand-in-glove for having worsened the Sabarimala issue.
"Why is the Prime Minister playing a drama over Sabarimala? I had brought up the matter in Parliament on January 4. I had sought legislative intervention to protect the rights of the believers.
Has the Prime Minister or his minister ever uttered a single word on the issue in Parliament?" Venugopal asked.
Recalling that the NDA had brought forward an ordinance to validate the lapsed Bill on Triple Talaq, he sought to know why the same enthusiasm was lacking in the case of Sabarimala.
"An ordinance would have been enough. The Centre could have intervened in the name of faith. But they didn't.
Modi said his party and government will approach the Supreme Court, explaining the traditions of Sabarimala. They could've have done this long ago. But they didn't.
People will tolerate all kinds of drama, but using the name of Swami Ayyappa for election drama is beyond limits," Venugopal said at a meet the press programme here.
The Congress has officially asked in Parliament for legislative intervention on the Sabarimala matter, he said. Attacking the Left government in the state, he said it could have sought time to implement the Supreme Court verdict, but did not do so.
"The RSS/sangh parivar tried to disrupt the peace an tranquillity at the hilltop shrine. Sincere devotees were denied their right to pray.
Both the state and the centre governments were hand-in-glove in making the situation worsen. Both the governments were responsible for worsening the Sabarimala issue," Venugopal alleged.
Venugopal said the AICC decision to appoint a special observer in Thiruvananthapuram was to monitor the poll activities in the major constituencies.
The observers were appointed as the BJP was using all its machinery to fight this poll.
Modi is misleading the country: LDF
Sharpening its attack on the Prime Minister, the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala Sunday accused Narendra Modi of "misleading" the country on the Sabarimla issue and dubbed his statement as "utter lie."
Leading the onslaught, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed Modi during his campaign meetings in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Saturday had said invoking the name of Lord Ayyappa or Sabarimala in Kerala would land devotees in jail and described it as "utter lie" and "misleading."
"This is an utter lie. How can a Prime Minister make such a wrong remark?" Vijayan asked while addressing an election rally in Kollam.
"If anyone was arrested, it was because they have gone against the law. In other states, Sangh Parivar activists may not land in jailer there may not be any cases against them, thanks to the blessings of Modi. But that will not happen in Kerala," the chief minister warned.
Accusing Modi of practising "double standards", he said it was the Centre which had asked the state government to impose Section 144 in Sabarimala during the frenzied protests last year over the entry of women of all age groups into the hill shrine.
It had also offered to send central forces to put down the protests, he added.
The state had witnessed violent 'namajapam' protests by a section of devotees, Right wing outfits and the BJP after the LDF government decided to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all age groups to offer worship at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.
Modi, who was in Kozhikode on April 12, while not mentioning Sabarimala or Lord Ayyappa directly, had said the BJP government would ensure that the centuries old beliefs of devotees would be protected.
The Prime Minister was more direct in his campaign meetings in Tamil Nadu, where he alleged the Communists, Congress and Muslim League were playing a dangerous game on the Sabarimala issue.
"They are using brute force to strike at the roots of faith and expression. Sadly for them, as long as the BJP is there, nobody will be able to destroy our faith and culture," he had said.
The prime minister had also mentioned that the BJP candidate in Kozhikode, Prakash Babu, was arrested and jailed on the Sabarimala issue.
Hitting back, Vijayan said: "Whoever does any wrong, action will be taken", adding those arrested on the Sabarimala issue had gone against law.
The model code of conduct was applicable to the prime minister also, Vijayan said campaigning for the LDF candidate K N Balagopal in Kollam.
The state's Chief Electoral Officer, Teekaram Meena, had earlier made it clear political parties cannot invoke the name of Lord Ayyappa or Sabarimala to seek votes.
Vijayan said the BJP had given a call to its followers saying no one should put any offerings in hundis.
"Why did they send people to the hill shrine to attack devotees? The attackers even reached the Sannidhanam... the policemen were hit with coconuts. Police had great difficulty in controlling the attackers," he alleged.
CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also lashed out at the BJP, saying the saffron party was allegedly dividing people on communal lines.
The prime minister himself was defying the Election Commission, he alleged.