If Sabarimala tantri jailed for ritual violation, then CM too should be arrested: BJP

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi Jan 15 (PTI) Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said that if the Sabarimala tantri (chief priest) was jailed for alleged violation of rituals, then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should be arrested first for the violations during the women's entry issue at the hill shrine in 2018.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Chandrasekhar said the BJP was not protecting Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, who was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss case.

"We are only protecting the faith of Ayyappa devotees and the faith of all Keralities," he said.

He said those who committed wrongdoing should go to jail.

Chandrasekhar said the remand report filed after tantri’s arrest did not cite sufficient grounds for taking him into custody.

"If the arrest is for violation of ritual practices at Sabarimala, then it is Pinarayi Vijayan who should first go to jail. In 2018, who interfered with the traditions and culture of Sabarimala," he asked, referring to the incident in which two women were allegedly escorted by the police following the Supreme Court order allowing entry of women in the hill shrine.

He said that if the case were indeed about a ritual violation, an FIR should also be registered against the CM.

The BJP leader alleged that the Congress was running a "fake campaign" to divert attention from a photograph of Sonia Gandhi with Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case.

"Why did Potty meet Sonia Gandhi? Was he a voter from her constituency," he asked.

Chandrasekhar alleged that Potty was a fund collector and that was why Congress leaders Adoor Prakash, Benny Behanan and Anto Antony accompanied him to meet Sonia Gandhi.

"Who granted him entry to Sabarimala? These questions must be answered. There should be an investigation, either by the CBI or the SIT," he said.

Chandrasekhar said the Congress was a "shameless party" and had repeatedly failed to come to power at the Centre in 2014, 2019 and 2024 despite what he termed false promises.

He said people in several states had rejected the Congress after realising the "lies" of Rahul Gandhi.

He alleged that ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress was spreading misinformation about the VB-G RAM G scheme (Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin), claiming it would replace and weaken MGNREGA.

"It is a big lie that VB-G RAM G will affect MGNREGA beneficiaries," he said.

Chandrasekhar said the UPA government had allocated Rs 2.35 lakh crore for MGNREGA, while the Narendra Modi government had provided Rs 7.83 lakh crore over the past 10 years.

He said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) guarantees 100 days of employment, while the new scheme ensures 125 days of work and also allows cardholders to take up agricultural work, which was not permitted earlier.

"Under VB-G RAM G, money will be directly credited to the bank accounts of cardholders. There will be no need to pay bribes by visiting offices," he said.

He alleged that the Congress was opposing reforms as corruption under MGNREGA would not be possible under the new scheme.

"In Kerala, 14 per cent of MGNREGA cardholders were found to be fake. This will not happen again. Congress may not like it, but common people welcome the scheme," he said.

Chandrasekhar said fake works worth Rs 1,000 crore were implemented under MGNREGA in Kerala, and such irregularities would not be repeated as biometric authentication and geo-tagging were part of the new system.

He alleged that the Congress did politics in the name of the poor and cited the 2009 farm loan waiver in Kerala, claiming that 30 per cent of beneficiaries were found to be fake after a CAG audit.

Referring to Karnataka, he said the Congress came to power there in 2023 on false promises and that the state had taken loans worth around Rs 1.5 lakh crore for welfare schemes.

"The Deputy Chief Minister himself has said there is no money for welfare schemes," he said.

Chandrasekhar challenged the Congress leaders to debate with him on the party’s track record and welfare initiatives in comparison with the BJP-led government. PTI TBA TBA KH