Thiruvananthapuram: The state Congress leadership is in a catch-22 following party president Rahul Gandhi's statement supporting the Supreme Court verdict allowing all women worshippers at Sabarimala, which is at variance with the stand of the local leadership.
"It is a very emotional issue and my personal thinking on the matter is different from my party's Kerala unit," Mr Gandhi told a select group of journalists in Indore in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.
"My personal viewpoint on the issue of Sabarimala temple is that men and women are equal. All women should get permission to enter into the temple. However, my party's Kerala unit's view is that it is a very emotional issue for both men and women. Therefore, my personal opinion and my party's Kerala unit's thinking are different on the matter. My party represents the feelings of the people in Kerala on the issue," he added.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, despite contradictions, defended holding padayatra and vehicle rallies.
But a section of Congress leaders demanded a course correction and the immediate summoning of the political affairs committee to review the party stand.
At the UDF meeting at Muthalakulam in Kozhikode on Tuesday, Mr Chennithala said Mr Gandhi has proved himself to be different from authoritarian leaders like Narendra Modi and Pinarayi Vijayan. Would any of their party members be bold to express a different opinion?
Mr Chennithala said there was no confusion among leaders. "Both UDF and Congress are with the devotees. Rahul Gandhi had not disapproved of, but permitted the KPCC to lead the protests," he said.
“Almost all national leaders had expressed same view on the verdict of the Supreme Court. But here in Kerala the situation is different”, he added.
“The state Congress leadership had apprised Rahul Gandhi of sentiments of believers. We were advised by him to stand with the believers so as to save them from the manipulations of communal forces”, he added.
A few weeks ago, KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran and Mr Chennithala had met Mr Gandhi in New Delhi and apprised him of the situation in Kerala.
When they returned, they reiterated the Congress party’s support to Ayyappa devotees.
Later, at the PAC meeting, senior Congress leaders K. Muraleedharan, MLA, working president K. Sudhakaran and Mr Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, said they were worried that the BJP was cashing in on the situation.
To check BJP monopolizing the agitation, the party announced padayatra and vehicle rallies in six districts concluding by Nov 15 at Pathanamthitta, a day before the Mandala – Makaravilakku season starts.
Recently, V. T. Balram MLA came out with a strongly worded post on Facebook reminding "Rahul Gandhi, not Rahul Easwar of Ayyappa Dharma Sena, is our leader”.
He maintained that the Congress does not have any compulsion to defend anti-progressive ideologies.
