Thiruvananthapuram: Ahead of the Kerala Assembly election early next month, the main ruling political party of the state is in a spot as the row over women's entry to Sabarimala temple has come back to haunt it nearly a couple of years after its drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls likely brought about by its clumsy handling of matters of faith and customs.
Such is the anxiety in the CPM camp over the Sabarimala row that the LDF election manifesto, released on Friday, is silent over it.
Treading cautiously the manifesto of the CPM-led political front, LDF, just promised to protect faith, with no word on the action to be taken at the Sabarimala temple.
The description of the secular government in the preface of the manifesto reads as: “A united front, including the faithful, should come up to resist and defeat the communal forces. The Left front will lead all activities to protect the faith of believers of all religions, and to let those who do not believe in any religion to live peacefully.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, meanwhile, hoped that the believers have no doubt about the stance taken by the government over the .
"If any issue arises when the Supreme Court gives its final verdict, we will implement it only after holding talks with everyone," the Chief Minister explained.
However, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the CM was now talking about reconciliation after giving an affidavit opposing the traditional practices at the famous Hindu shrine.
As debate on Sabarimala intensified, the NSS held a ‘Namajapa’ procession in the state capital. The NSS was provoked by the statements of CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran the other day.
The CPM found itself on the backfoot after CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury rejected the statements by Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran who expressed regret over the incidents at Sabarimala. Fearing the ire of the believers, the CPM is in a damage-control mode.
Politburo member M A Baby had also said that the party need not execute every concept just because it has a stance on it. The admission that the hasty implementation of the verdict had gone awry was evident in Baby's responses.
