Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday admitted that he had changed his stand on the entry of young women at Kerala’s Sabarimala temple to one where he sides openly with neither parties.

Speaking at an event in Dubai, Gandhi, who had earlier supported the entry of women of menstruating age at the Lord Ayyappa temple, said he now thinks the people in favour of the traditional ban also have valid arguments.

“I can see the validity in both arguments… I cannot give you an open-and-shut position… I leave it to the people of Kerala to decide,” the Gulf News quoted the Congress chief as saying.

A report in The Indian Express quoted him as saying that he had changed his position “after hearing from the people of Kerala”.

“I have heard both the arguments. My initial position was different from my position today. After having heard the arguments of the people of Kerala, I can see validity in both the arguments. I can see validity in the argument that tradition needs to be protected and I can see validity in the argument that women should have equal rights,” he reportedly said.

Gandhi and the party’s Kerala leadership had earlier hit out at the Right-wing groups leading protests against the entry of women at the Sabarimala temple, batting for gender equality.

Gandhi’s latest statement may be part of the Congress’ electoral strategy of a ‘soft’ Hindutva push which saw the party president embark on several temple visit ahead of recently held Assembly elections.