Pathanamthitta: With the BJP led NDA trying to turn the Sabarimala issue into a major poll plank, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said his party believes in allowing people to express their faith and sentiments and never stop them from "genuinely" expressing their belief.
Addressing a massive poll rally at Pathanamthitta in Kerala, where the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple is located, Gandhi said his party wants an India "where people can express what is there inside their heart as long as those expressions are peaceful and non-violent."
However, he was cautious not to mention the name of Lord Ayyappa or the recent agitations witnessed by the state against the entry of young women there.
Pathanamthitta was ground zero of the Sabarimala women's entry agitations last year.
The entire Kerala, including Pathanamthitta, had witnessed frenzied protests by devotees and right wing outfits against the CPM-led LDF government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict, permitting women of all age groups into the hillock shrine.
"The Congress party believes in allowing all people to express their faith, express their beliefs and express their sentiments," Gandhi said.
"But the Congress will never take an action that stops people from genuinely expressing their faith," he said, adding that he leaves the matter to the "wisdom of the people of the state."
The Congress chief also said he chose Wayanad in Kerala as his second constituency as the southern state respects other people's ideas.
Pathanamthitta is witnessing a fierce tri-cornered fight between Anto Antony of the Congress-led UDF, Veena George of the CPM-headed LDF and BJP-NDA nominee K Surendran.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, while addressing an election meeting in Kozhikode on April 12, also not mentioned the words like 'Sabarimala' or 'Lord Ayyappa'.
But the Prime Minister had said that the BJP government would ensure that the centuries old beliefs of devotees would be protected.
However during his campaign meetings in Tamil Nadu later,Modi had alleged that the communists, Congress and Muslim League were playing a dangerous game on the Sabarimala issue, which Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rubbished as "misleading" and "utter lies".
Gandhi visits kin of KM Mani
Rahul Gandhi Tuesday paid a visit to the bereaved family members of Kerala Congress (M) leader and former state minister K M Mani, who died last week.
Gandhi, who reached at Pala in Kottayam district Monday afternoon after addressing election campaign meetings in Pathanapuram and Pathanamthitta, spent around 10 minutes with the family members of the late leader of Kerala Congress (M) at his residence here.
Mani's son and Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani received Gandhi and the Congress leaders who accompanied him, at his residence. Before meeting the family members, Gandhi paid floral tributes to Mani's photo kept at the residence.
"He (Mani) was a towering leader, voice of people of Kerala. So it is an honour for me to come here and pay my respects," Gandhi told reporters after meeting Mani's family members.
He said Mani, as a senior leader with tremendous experience, was "somebody I would listen to and appreciate."
Gandhi was accompanied by senior Congress leaders including Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala, Mullappally Ramachandran, K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik. Later, Gandhi left for Alappuzha for addressing an election campaign meeting there.
Mani died on April 9 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi for pulmonary disease.
The Kerala Congress (M) founded by Mani is a third largest partner in the Congress-led UDF in Kerala.
