'Kerala Government Cheated Crores Of Devotees': Amit Shah on Sabarimala issue

Slamming the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala over the Sabarimala issue, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Friday that they has been "cheating" crores of Ayyappa devotees and denying them justice.

He added that it would only result in "unsettling the foundation of the communist party in the state," he said while addressing part workers in Palakkad, Kerala.

"The LDF government has been cheating crores of Sabarimala devotees in the country. I would like to remind you that this will result in unsettling the foundation of the communist party," he said.

Mr Shah claimed that during the Sabarimala protests, 2,000 devotees were jailed and cases were registered against 30,000 others.

Kerala had been rocked by protests after the state government decided to implement the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict allowing women of all age groups to pray at the hill shrine.

"The LDF government has been stating that they were bound by the Supreme Court verdict. However, the top court has also said that no loudspeakers can be used in mosques. From how many mosques have you removed the loudspeakers. Have you implemented that Supreme Court verdict?" Mr Shah asked.

 "The atheist communists have tried to deny justice to the believers," he added.

The BJP leader claimed that the Sangh Parivar organisations struggled to protect the Sabarimala traditions and faith of the devotees while the government had deputed 1,500 Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists to Sabarimala in disguise of cops.

"We warn the Pinarayi Vijayan government that unless you stop persecution of Ayyappa devotees, your party will face the same fate as that in West Bengal and Tripura," Mr Shah said.

-PTI