Thiruvananthapuram, February 17 The BJP in Kerala on Tuesday said it would launch statewide protests demanding that the government take a stand in favor of protecting traditional customs and ritualistic practices at Sabarimala in the Supreme Court.
Speaking at a press conference at KG Marar Bhavan here, BJP state general secretary S Suresh said the Left government should be prepared to modify the affidavit it had previously filed in the apex court regarding the entry of women in the menstruating age group into the shrine.
He also demanded that the government withdraw "thousands of false cases" allegedly registered against devotees who had participated in protests to protect temple customs, arguing that the government had acted to "destroy" the traditions.
The saffron party made this announcement a day after the Supreme Court reopened the case, announcing that a nine-judge bench would begin final hearings on a batch of petitions on discrimination against women in religions and places of worship, including the Sabarimala temple.
In November 2018, the Supreme Court allowed women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala temple, triggering widespread protests across Kerala.
The apex court is currently considering a batch of review petitions in the matter.
The SC said on Monday that a nine-judge bench, which will be constituted by the Chief Justice, will commence the crucial hearing on the petitions on April 7.
Suresh urged the state to recommend a CBI investigation into the alleged "gold theft" at Sabarimala, claiming that it was carried out under the aegis of the "kuruva sangam" (thief gang) of CPI(M)-Congress.
He said the BJP's state election committee meeting has decided to raise these three demands before the people of Kerala and to organize strong protest programs across the state until the government changes its stand in the Supreme Court.
The meeting also held detailed discussions on all 140 Assembly constituencies in the state, including certain key seats, and reviewed the overall political situation, he said.
According to Suresh, two state office-bearers visited each of the 14 districts to gather feedback from all 140 constituencies, and the inputs were placed before the state election committee for discussion.
He said steps had been initiated to forward the state election committee's decisions to the BJP's central parliamentary board.
Discussions would also be held on the seats to be contested by the BJP and its NDA allies before submitting the final list to the party's central leadership, he added.
State vice-president Shaun George was also present at the press conference, a party statement said.