Sabarimala issue: PM Modi-Pinarayi Vijayan spat is unbecoming of their position

Sabarimala issue: PM Modi-Pinarayi Vijayan spat is unbecoming of their position

FPJ BureauUpdated: Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 12:07 AM IST
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Thiruvananthapuram: A verbal duel between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has nearly turned unseemly and unbecoming of the positions they hold. It all began with Narendra Modi raising the Sabarimala issue by name in one of his election meetings in Mangalore, Karnataka.

The PM said the situation in Kerala was so bad that the very act of invoking the name of Lord Ayyappa by anyone would invite criminal proceedings and jail. Prompt came a response by Pinarayi Vijayan, describing Modi’s charge as an ‘utter lie’. “How can a prime minister make such a wrong claim?” he wondered while addressing a rally.

Vijayan clarified that those who were arrested during the Sabarimala agitation had gone against the law. “In other states, Sangh Parivar activists may not land in jail or there may not be any cases against them, thanks to the blessings of Modi. But that will not happen in Kerala,” the chief minister declared. But Modi stood his ground.

Addressing another public meeting in Tamil Nadu, which sends the largest number of pilgrims to the Sabarimala temple, apart from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Modi alleged that the Left and the Muslim League were playing a dangerous game “to strike at the root of faith and aspiration”. But his time he refrained from mentioning Sabarimala by name.

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The caution must have been prompted by the criticism that Modi was violating the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission, which prohibited the use of Sabarimala for electioneering.

State’s chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena had earlier warned that political parties or candidates doing so would be proceeded against under electoral laws. But he had provided a rider: The ban was against the use of Lord Ayyappa and other religious symbols; the issues related to the women’s entry to the hill shrine per se were not disallowed.

The CPI-M soon complained to the Election Commission about Modi’s statement, particularly the reference to the Muslim League. The party demanded action against Modi for violating the model code of conduct and communally polarising voters by making remarks on the Sabarimala issue.

Pinarayi asserted at another rally that Modi did not enjoy any special privileges in Kerala and will have to face the consequences of any violations. The Election Commission has since asked for a detailed report on Modi’s remarks. It is also examining Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s ‘chowkidar chor hai’ jibe against the PM.

Although the Election Commission had warned against the use of Sabarimala issue, it has become the hottest campaign point for all parties. The BJP had already declared that Sabarimala was an issue close to the party’s heart and there was no way it can be kept out of the election campaign.

After Modi openly mentioned Sabarimala, the party has officially acknowledged it as its key campaign point. During a rally in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, Modi declared that if his government comes back to power it will not hesitate to amend the Constitution to protect beliefs and rituals.

“We will fight in the court and in parliament to ensure protection for customs and traditions,” Modi declared. Congress president Rahul Gandhi during his two-day campaign in Kerala had also promised to protect faiths and traditions and to stand on the side of believers, but without mentioning Sabarimala by name.

As the polling day draws nearer, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Sabarimala issue will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the elections, particularly in the southern and central districts, which form the epicentre of the agitation against the entry of women into the famous hill shrine. In fact, the BJP is pinning all hopes on at least a couple of seats from the region.

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