Tension is brewing in parts of Kerala hours ahead of the opening of the ancient Sabarimala Temple for monthly prayers on Wednesday evening. The devotees opposing the Supreme Court order, allowing women of all ages to enter the temple, have stepped up protests and police resorted to lathicharge and took some of them into custody.
#WATCH: Police lathi-charge and pelt stones at the protesters gathered at Nilakkal base camp, in Kerala. #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/DMC1ePz0l2
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
On September 28, the apex allowed women of all age groups to enter the temple, overturning a centuries old tradition which said that women between the age of 10 and 50 cannot enter the temple, as they are of menstruating age. The shrine will open for prayers for the first time, after the SC order, on Wednesday evening.
ALSO READ: All you need to know about Sabarimala protest in Kerala
However, women below the age of 50 trying to enter the shrine on Wednesday have been stopped from doing so by the protestors. A woman journalist’s car was also blocked.
#WATCH :Protesters block and attack Republic TV journalist Pooja Prasanna’s car in Pathanamthitta #SabarimalaTemple https://t.co/86YIXhZBno
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
Another woman journalist was also denied entry.
#WATCH: India Today journalist Mausami Singh and its crew in a police vehicle. They were attacked by the protesters at Nilakkal base camp. #SabarimalaTemple #Kerala pic.twitter.com/R7rsSBK8fx
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
Some of the activists leading the protest have been taken into custody. A total of 30 people were arrested in Pamba, 9 yesterday and 21 today. Two of them got bail.
Activist Rahul Easwar has been arrested by from Nilakkal base camp&a non-bailable FIR has been registered against him. He is kept at Pamba police station.Easwar says to ANI ‘I didn’t hit any woman there. I was moving to the other direction. It’s a vendetta against me.’ (file pic) pic.twitter.com/T7t25hJ1Kq
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
A woman from Andhra Pradesh, under 50 years, who tried to climb the Sabarimala Hills to reach the Lord Ayyappa temple, returned to Pamba following protests by male devotees.
ALSO READ: Kerala CM warns protestors ahead of Sabarimala temple reopening
She was provided security by the police to climb the hills but was forced to return after protests.
A woman from Alappuzha district, said to be in the below 50 years age group, who was on the way to Sabarimala armed with the Supreme Court order was stopped from proceeding at the Pathanamthitta bus terminal by passengers.
K K Shailaja, a Kerala Minister told ANI “I can predict what is going on there, I think it is intentional,it’s dirty politics they (protesters) are playing. We can’t say if they are actual devotees. Supreme Court’s order is Constitutional & govt is bound to implement it.”
Devotees plan to stop women from entering the hillock shrine by
- Lying down at the entry points: Malayalam dailies quoted local BJP leaders as saying they will lie down at the entry points to try and block women from getting in.
- Mass suicide: Kerala unit of Shiv Sena threaten to stage mass suicides if women enter the temple. P Aji, a senior Shiv Sena leader, said that their “suicide squads” comprising men and women above 50 are ready for the supreme sacrifice.
- The protesters camp at the Nilakkal base camp en route to the hill shrine will stop women from proceeding further to Pamba, till where women were allowed to go even earlier.
- Block cars, buses carrying women
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