BJP State President PS Sreedharan Pillai clarified that it was not party chief Amit Shah but the people themselves who will bring down the Kerala government. The clarification came following protests over Amit Shah’s threat of destroying the Pinarayi Vijayan government if more devotees are arrested.
Addressing media persons in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday Sreedharan Pillai said that Amit Shah meant that the faithful would pull down the government if it attempted to suppress Sabarimala protests. He also claimed that the media has distorted Amit Shah’s speech.
On October 27, after inaugurating BJP’s district committee office in Kannur Amit Shah said that BJP workers would destroy the state government if the suppression continued. In response to the threat, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that Shah’s statement was a challenge to the rule of law. He also said that the power that the LDF wields is not a favour done by the BJP.
CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan even challenged Shah to dismiss the government. It will serve well if Amit Shah realises that this is 2018, and not 1959, Kodiyeri has stated. In 1959, the Nehru government at the Centre has dissolved the EMS Namboodiripad government in Kerala following the liberation struggle.
Sreedharan Pillai also said that the party would intensify its protest against entry of women into Sabarimala and said a ‘rath yatra’ would be organised from Kasaragod to Sabarimala on November 8, ending at the temple on November 13.
According to reports close to 517 cases have been registered and over 2000 people were arrested for indulging in violent protests at the temple when it opened for darshan last week. The police took screen grabs of 210 suspects and sent it to all district police to arrest all those who engaged in violence in Sabarimala.