In a significant political move before the Assembly election due in a few months, with the Congress and the BJP once again trying to take mileage from the Sabarimala issue, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has decided to withdraw the cases against protesters who took part in the agitations against the entry of women at the Sabarimala temple and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

At a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, it was decided to withdraw "cases that were not of a serious criminal nature", Government sources told media. Around 2,000 cases related to Sabarimala agitation were registered across various districts in the State during 2018-19. The Nair Service Society (NSS), a prominent caste-based organisation in the State, which was in the forefront of the 'namajapa yathra' as part of Sabarimala agitation had earlier demanded the withdrawal of cases against the protesters. Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the move was a "wisdom that dawned late".

The Supreme Court had ordered the lifting of the ban on women or girls of menstruating age from entering the temple premises. The State Government pronounced that it would implement the verdict at any cost. Though Opposition parties like Congress and BJP initially hailed the verdict as historic, they backed out when the government announced that it was hell-bent on implementing the verdict. Right-wing groups had clashed with the police. following the visit of two women of menstrual age at the temple under police protection on January 2, 2019. In parallel, the State Government also decided to withdraw cases against those who joined the nationwide protests after Parliament passed the contentious CAA in 2019.

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