On Friday, BJP announced that it will further strengthen its stand on the Sabarimala issue and will shift the protest from the temple complex to the state capital to intensify the agitation.
BJP declared that the protests will continue for 2 weeks where the party members from 4 districts will gather at the state secretariat each day to press their demands of lifting the restrictions in Sabarimala and strict action against police officers for allegedly filing a false case against BJP General Secretary K Surendran.
P Sreedharan Pillai, BJP President for Kerala unit, said that the decision to shift the protest was taken after women between the age group of 10 to 50 years stopped trying to enter the Ayappa shrine. He added that BJP will only shift its protest base again to Sabarimala if women between these age groups try to enter the temple again.
At this decision, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that it shows that BJP has got an idea of the secular minds of the Kerala people and also the people have understood the government’s stand on the issue.
Vijayan clarified that his government had nothing to do with the cases that were filed against BJP leaders and said that it was a part of the implementation of the law and there was no point in protesting for withdrawal of cases against K Surendran. He also said that there was nothing wrong in protesting in front of the state secretariat, but BJP must introspect on its demands.
Taking a dig at the BJP protesters, he said“It is not possible to stand straight if you take a stand that is not acceptable by the society.”