The BJP that had called for ensuring constitutional protection of belief and faith in the Sabarimala temple issue, is reportedly not for bringing in a legislation on Women entry issue to sidestep the Supreme Court verdict.
The BJP led government at the Centre stated in Parliament on Wednesday that it was not for framing a legislation immediately. In a written reply to Thiruvananthapuram MP Sashi Tharoor, Union law minister Ravi Shanker Prasad said that t6he issue was now before the Supreme Court and a decision would only be taken after the final verdict.
Tharoor had asked in the Lok Sabha if the Government was considering or in the process of framing legislation to overcome the Apex Court’s verdict.
Sabarimala was a big issue during the Lok Sabha elections with all the state as well as National leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former BJP Chief Amit Shah, stating that the party stood with the believers. It has to be noted that Shah during an election campaign had said that they would do everything to protect the faith of the pilgrims of Sabarimala.
If you go through the BJP election Manifesto, you can read that the party had promised to protect the faith and belief of Sabarinmala. The manifesto underlined that they would do everything to protect the belief and faith of the hill shrine.
Apart from the question that Taroor asked, Kollam MP N K Premachandran had also moved a private members bill on the Sabarimala issue.
With the Centre giving a written reply on not having an immediate decision to bring in a legislation, the BJP is said to have been exposed on the issue. Political experts point out Sabarimala for BJP was only a political issue. “It was all election gimmick. If the BJP had any real intention in the issue, then the Centre would not have made such a statement in Parliament,” they point out.
