Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presided over the meeting of the committee, said there should be continuation of activities of the committee for the protection of renaissance values. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presided over the meeting of the committee, said there should be continuation of activities of the committee for the protection of renaissance values.

After organising the women’s wall in support of entry of all women at Sabarimala, the CPI(M)-backed Committee for Protection of Renaissance Values on Thursday decided to accommodate Muslim and Christian outfits in it and continue its activities, apparently with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections.

The decision to accommodate Muslim and Christian organisations in the committee — which was hitherto an umbrella organisation of various Hindu outfits — was taken at a meeting, which comes in the wake of Opposition criticism that the women’s wall was communal in nature.

Even though the Sabarimala pilgrim season was over last week, the committee on Thursday decided to form units at district and taluk levels. It will conduct mass conventions at district level before March 15.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presided over the meeting of the committee, said there should be continuation of activities of the committee for the protection of renaissance values. “Protection of renaissance values was necessary for the progress of people. Those who opposed the women’s wall tried to weaken the activities meant for protecting renaissance values. Although the wall was termed a communal one, women from all sections participated in it,” he said.

Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, who is president of the committee, said there was an allegation that the campaign for protecting renaissance values had avoided Muslim and Christian organisations. “In Kerala, Christians and Muslims too have contributed for promoting renaissance values. Hence, we decided to welcome them,” he said.

Natesan said the committee has no political agenda behind accommodating minorities. “We are ready to cooperate with anyone for promoting renaissance values, which is the need of hour. It is true that such a campaign started over young women’s entry at Sabarimala. But now we are promoting the committee to ease the communal tension in the state,’’ said Natesan, whose son Thushar is state president of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, an ally of BJP-led NDA in Kerala.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.