Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 21(DC): Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that even those who led the agitation against the entry of women below 50 into Sabarimala have admitted it was a failure.

He was indirectly referring to the agitation by BJP in front of the Secretariat that concluded on Sunday.

Inaugurating an event at the EMS Academy here, he said that they had decided to stage protests against the government as they cannot do anything against the Supreme Court that lifted age restrictions. "Those who belong to upper castes created the problems," the chief minister said.

He also condemned the 1991 High Court verdict which found the entry of women of reproductive age, defined as between ten and 50, as illegal.

"It was because the verdict was illegal that the Supreme Court overruled it. Women used to visit Sabarimala temple during the first Pooja of every month till 1991," he said.

Attempts have been made to portray his CPM party as standing "against the people's beliefs and faith."

"CPM has not taken any stand against devotees. It's the BJP that started spreading such fake news. Many devotees have stood with the CPM," the chief minister said.

"Several attempts were being made to divide the society by those who cannot accept gender equality. The present problems were created by some people who thought they have caste superiority."

He said the government is only against those opposing beliefs of others.

He said conservative attitude was growing among people and the left could not resist the growing rightist tendencies.