In an attempt to garner support following recent protests by Hindu groups across Kerala over the entry of women of all ages to the Sabarimala shrine post the Supreme Court verdict, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that a "women wall" would be formed on January 1 from the northern district of Kasargode to the state capital pledging support to the state government stand.
CM Vijayan's remarks came after representatives of dozens of Hindu social organisations met him.
"The hash tag of the 'women wall' would be not to turn Kerala into a lunatic asylum. At today's meeting, these organisations have pledged their support to the state government on the stand taken by us on the Sabarimala issue," said CM Vijayan, adding political parties can also send their women cadre.
The meeting was called by CM Vijayan in the aftermath of a strong resistance put up by the BJP and RSS since September 28 when the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged 10-50.
The top court on November 13 refused to stay the September verdict, three days before the temple opened this season.
The Left Democratic Front government in Kerala led by the CPI-M has been trying to implement the top court's verdict even as the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and several Hindu groups are up in arms against it.
While the Hindu Ezhava social group led by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan took part in the meeting, the Hindu Nair Service Society did not turn up.
CM Vijayan had sent out invites to over 150 social groups.
"The NSS should have attended the meeting," said CM Vijayan.
NSS general secretary Sukumaran Nair said: "Why we did not go need not be disclosed."
Meanwhile, the Congress slammed Pinarayi Vijayan government and said that the 'women wall' protests and said that it will only whip up communal passions.
Slamming the Kerala government, Leader of Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala said the wall will polarize people and it could stir communal tensions.
Meanwhile, a four-member delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met Kerala Governor (retd) Justice P Sadhasivam seeking immediate intervention in the Sabarimala issue. The delegation led by BJP MP Saroj Pandey appraised the governor about the situation in Sabarimala.
BJP leaders have also submitted a petition to the governor urging him to intervene. In the petition, BJP has alleged that the devotees are being mentally and physically harassed by the police in the name of security measures.
"Anyone and everybody, including children chanting hymns and singing bhajans at the shrine, are being arrested and put behind the bars. False cases are being framed against them, often non-bailable," reads the letter.
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