Sabarimala Temple Row: Religious Beliefs Shouldn’t Be Ignored, Says Mahila Congress Chief Sushmita Dev
She said both views have to be respected adding there were also personal and religious beliefs and religious customs or practice that must not be ignored.
Hyderabad, November 22: Describing Sabarimala as a 'sensitive' issue, President of the All India Mahila Congress Sushmita Dev Thursday said religious beliefs and customs should not be ignored. There were two views on the Supreme Court order permitting women of all ages to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Dev, who is also an AICC spokesperson, told reporters here. "Sabarimala is a very sensitive issue and when the judgement was passed by the Supreme Court, I was on record welcoming the judgement but there are clearly two views on Sabarimala," she said.
"One is of course the view of the honourable Supreme Court... and no one in this country will deny there is another view that exists among the people of Kerala and followers of Sabarimala temple that cannot be ignored," the Mahila Congress leader said replying to a question on the situation in Kerala. She said both views have to be respected adding there were also personal and religious beliefs and religious customs or practice that must not be ignored. "One must respect that... This is a precarious situation where there are two views," Dev, who is here to campaign for the Congress party for December 7 Assembly polls, said. Congress MP Sushmita Dev Alleges Bengalis Beaten Up Along Assam-Meghalaya Border After NRC.
She said the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led government failed to meet the aspirations of Telangana people on all fronts especially in solving problems of women and youth. She alleged that as many as 4,200 government schools have been shut and "KG to PG" scheme promised by Rao was not implemented. As a result of non-implementation of "job for every family" promise made by the TRS chief during the 2014 elections, 30 lakh youth are unemployed in Telangana, she said.
Hyderabad has become the second "capital of rapes" after Delhi, Dev alleged.
"When it comes to crimes against children Hyderabad is one of the worst... I am pained to say that Delhi is known today as the rape capital and I think Hyderabad is the second," she said.