Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of instigating violence in Kerala over the Sabarimala issue, the Congress on Sunday said the government at the Centre could not maintain law and order in the state. The BJP government should bring a law that marries the rights of women of Kerala to the long-held traditions of society, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in the wake of violence in Kerala over the entry of women in the reproductive age group into the Sabarimala shrine.
Attacking the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala for allegedly "failing" to protect law and order in the state and the BJP for allegedly fomenting trouble, the Congress said the law was necessary to find a solution to the problem.
"While the BJP is creating trouble and the CPM has failed to maintain law and order in the state, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is espousing the long held traditions of people of Kerala in a peaceful manner,” Surjewala told reporters in Delhi.
"We believe that law and Constitution is supreme, but, belief and tradition of people, particularly the people of Kerala, have to be married in congeniality with the existing law and the constitution," he said.
Surjewala further said Congress leader KC Venugopal had last week moved an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha demanding such a legislation.
The Congress leader said the faith of the people of Kerala cannot be segregated from the rigours of law and from the Constitution.
"It is for this reason that the Congress suggested in Parliament that let the BJP government bring in a piece of legislation," he said. The idea was also suggested to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all MPs, Surjewala said.
"Let that legislation be debated, let rights of women be stated on the floor, let the traditions of Kerala, the practice that has carried on for centuries be also espoused and stated on the floor and let a path be found, which is bereft of violence yet acceptable to everyone," he said.
The responsibility for finding a peaceful solution lies upon the Central government - "which is only adding fuel to the fire rather than finding a solution" - and on the CPM government in Kerala - "which is only using muscle power and power of the state rather than the intrinsic power of conversation and dialogue to settle the issue", he charged.
"The Congress party expresses its deep anguish and concern over the concerted violence that is being perpetuated by the RSS and the BJP cadre in the state, as also complete abdication of its duty to maintain law and order on part of the CPM government,” Surjewala said.
"Between the CPM, the BJP and the RSS, they have thrown the peaceful society of Kerala into an endless cycle of violence. The CPM government unfortunately remains a mute and a mock spectator to the endless cycle of violence," he said.
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