Sabarimala remark: Pinarayi Vijayan slams Shah; terms it 'attack on SC'

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday slammed BJP president Amit Shah for his remarks on the Sabarimala women entry issue, saying it was an 'attack' on the Supreme Court, Constitution and the country's judicial system.

The chief minister was reacting to the BJP chief's attack against his government over implementation of the apex court verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple.

"Shah's assertion that courts must only pronounce verdicts which can be carried out, conveys the message that fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution are not meant to be implemented," Vijayan said.

Speaking at Kannur after inaugurating the BJP's district office, Shah had also warned that BJP workers would not hesitate to pull down the state government if it continues to "suppress" the agitation of Ayyappa devotees.

Shah, who threatened to oust the LDF government, must remember that the government did not come to power at the mercy of BJP, but with the support of the people of the state, Vijayan said.

"It must also be noted that the BJP leader dared to threaten a democratically elected government because it stood by the Supreme Court verdict and its commitment to protect fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution," he said.

"Shah's statement also reveals the true colour of RSS and Sangh Parivar," he said.

The BJP chief's argument that gender equality must not be implemented through temple entry laws is a precursor to the arguments that caste based discrimination must not be abolished by law, Vijayan said.

"His ramblings also reveal their indebtedness to the obsolete views of gender equality propounded by Manusmriti," he said.

"Civil society, which upholds fundamental rights including gender equality, must rise against these uncivilised ideologies," Vijayan added.