Kollam: Launching a scathing attack on the Pinarayi Vijayan led government on the Sabarimala temple issue, BJP National President J P Nadda Thursday said it had tried to "crush" the sentiments of the people, while the opposition UDF had remained a "mute spectator."
The LDF government tried to crush the religious sentiments of the people, the Ayyappa devotees were lathi charged, cases were lodged against them for trying to protect the traditions of the Sabarimala temple, Nadda said addressing a rally at Karunagapally in Kollam district.
Read: Nadda targets Mamata, says letter to oppn leaders attempt to save her 'sinking ship' in Bengal
The opposition Congress led UDF remained a "mute spectator" and did only "lip service" on the issue, he said adding it was only the BJP which fought "tooth and nail" for protecting the traditions of the Ayyappa shrine.
The two fronts have been the cause of destruction of culture of this land and they tried to "crush" the religious sentiments of the people, he alleged.
Kerala had witnessed widespread violent agitation by a section of devotees led by the rightwing parties led by the BJP, after the Left government decided to implement the September 28, 2018 verdict of the Supreme Court allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple, where young women in the 10-50 age group are barred from offering worship.
Kollam, known for cashew processing and coir industries, has not been able to generate employment due to the "policy paralysis" of the alternate regimes of the ruling LDF and UDF, who he alleged have not taken any initiatives for development.
Assailing the Congress, Nadda said it was a mission in corruption.
Read: PM Modi , Priyanka Gandhi woo voters in Kerala
"Congress means mission in corruption, Congress means vision of communalism and Congress means action of destruction".
The BJP leader also recalled how during the Sabarimala stampede in January 2011, when 102 people were killed, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not reached out to the people of the state, but Narendra Modi had rushed within three hours when 114 people lost their lives in the Puttingal temple in Kollam.
The BJP chief also narrated how the Prime Minister's intervention had led to the rescue of Father Tom Uzhunnalil from the ISIS captivity in Yemen and Fr Alexis Prem Kumar from Afghanistan, besides ensuring the safe return of over 80 nurses, mostly from the state, stranded in ISIS occupied territory and Libya.
Nadda said a Congress woman leader in Thrissur had asked what the Modi government had done to help women.
"They do not know what is happening... 40 crore women have joined the Jan Dhan Yojana and have opened their bank accounts during the pandemic, for three months Rs 500 was disbursed directly to their accounts, and 20 crore women were benefitted, besides eight crore women were given free gas cylinders and connections," he claimed.
He also listed out some achievements of the central government.
Read: JP Nadda to visit TN today to campaign for Assembly polls
The senior BJP leader earlier took out a road show at Attingal, where he attacked the Congress and ruling CPI(M) describing them as "mentally bankrupt" as they are fighting the Kerala polls against each other and are allies in West Bengal.
Congress has also tied up with various communal parties in West Bengal and Assam, he alleged.
(With input from agencies)
