THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the UDF releasing its draft bill, which seeks to overturn the Supreme Court's Constitutional Bench's decision to allow women to enter Sabarimala and the CPM criticising the move, the Sabarimala issue is all set to be the main topic ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

It was senior Congress leader and MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan who released a draft law stating that the UDF would pass legislation on Sabarimala to protect the customs of the Sabarimala temple. Under this proposed law, the ban on unauthorised entry into Sabarimala will be ensured in consultation with the Tantri Violation of customs/rituals can attract imprisonment of up to two years.

The Congress had recently asked the Left government to seek legal remedies to "heal the wounds" created in society due to its alleged "hasty decision" to implement the Supreme court verdict of September 2018 allowing women of all age groups to enter the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.

However, CPI(M) state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan claimed the UDF was fooling the people as it was not possible to formulate a law in a matter which is under the consideration of the Supreme Court.

"The UDF announcement that a new law will be formulated against the women's entry into Sabarimala is just to fool the people of the state. First of all, the UDF is not going to come back to power. Secondly, it's not possible to make a law in a matter which is under the consideration of a larger bench of the Supreme Court. There is no legal authority to do so," Vijayaraghavan said.

The "draft law" proposed by the UDF contains entry restrictions with the permission of the temple Tantri (priest).

Vijayaraghavan said the state government will act according to the decision of the Supreme Court and claimed the new announcement was part of the UDF agenda to fool the people.

On Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said the UDF was raking up the Sabarimala issue because of the coming Assembly elections.