New Delhi
BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s handling of the situation in Sabarimala as “disappointing” and accused the Kerala government of treating pilgrims as “Gulag inmates” and making them spend nights next to “pig droppings”.

Asserting that his party stood firmly with every Ayyappa devotee who held the Sabarimala tradition close to his heart, the BJP president said his party would not let the LDF “crush people’s faith with impunity”.

In a series of tweets, Shah said, “If several reports of flushing resting places for devotees and them having to spend nights next to pig droppings and dustbin are true, then Pinarayi Vijayan must realise that he can’t treat Ayyappa devotees like inmates of Gulag. We won’t let LDF crush people’s faith with impunity,” the BJP chief said.

Gulag was a system of forced labour camps established during Joseph Stalin’s rule in the Soviet Union.Shah’s comments underlined his party’s support to devotees protesting against the state government’s move to implement a Supreme Court order lifting the bar on women of menstruating age from visiting the temple.

The Left Democratic Front has accused the BJP of politicising the court order with the chief minister asserting that it is the job of a government to implement the apex court’s order.