While Yechury Compares Sabarimala Protests To Babri Masjid Issue, VHP Calls Temple ‘Ayodhya Of The South’

Recently, Communist Party of India’s (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury drew a comparison between the violence witnessed during the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and the agitation that has been ongoing since the past week in Kerala. Vinod Bansal of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), however, flipped the argument and went on to boldly call Sabarimala as the ‘Ayodhya of the South’, The New Indian Express has reported.

Bansal thanked all the devotees of the shrine for protesting aggressively against the decision of the apex court. ANI quoted Bansal as saying, “Good that Sitharam Yechury has himself compared Sabarimala with Ayodhya because, yes, Sabarimala is South's Ayodhya. The way sanctity, religious belief and the serenity of Sabarimala have been attacked shows the reality of the CPI(M). The CPI(M) remains blind to the plight of the Kerala nun who was allegedly raped by Bishop Franco Mulakkal, but is very keen on appointing non-Hindus to the Travancore Devaswom Board. I appreciate and thank the people who are protesting and saving the sanctity of the temple.”

Yechury had earlier remarked that the BJP was playing “vote bank politics” at the cost of “social harmony”. He said that roughening up of women journalists and intimidating those who tried to enter the shrine was "shameful thing” for anyone to do. He was, however, silent on the Mulakkal rape case and did not comment on the CPM government’s non-objection to the bail plea of the accused Bishop.