Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has clarified that the CPI(M) and LDF do not have any second thoughts on their stand on the Sabarimala issue.
Clarifying that neither the party nor the coalition is against believers, and that they were only implementing the Supreme Court order allowing entry to women of all age groups into Sabarimala, the Chief Minister however added that they were not ‘cautious enough’ in dealing with propaganda against them.
"The government was implementing the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala. The CPI(M) has always been with the believers, there is nothing new in this. This has always been our stand,” he said, “But certain people who claim to represent believers have been trying to make it look like we’re against believers. At the time of elections, we were not cautious enough to counter this propaganda against us.”
“We are introspecting this lack of caution (in countering propaganda) – we don’t think we did anything wrong on Sabarimala issue however,” the CM said, while addressing media in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
"The Women's Wall organised by the government attracted worldwide attention – and the entry of two women into Sabarimala soon after was used by those who engaged in propaganda against the government,” he said.
Pinarayi Vijayan was replying to a question on whether the CPI(M) and the government had second thoughts on their stand on women’s entry into Sabarimala. This comes after the state committee meeting of the party took a ‘pro-faith’ stand. The party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had said that party workers need not abstain from activities at places of worship.