Sabarimala Row: Protesters Prevent Women From Entering The Temple

An entry point near the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on Friday virtually turned into an area of confrontation.

A large number of devotees opposing the entry of women of the menstrual age group blocked two women -- a reporter from Hyderabad and another said to be an activist from Kerala.

Inspector General S Sreejith heading a team of police personnel providing security cover to the women assured the protesting devotees chanting Ayyappa mantra that they would not like to move forward to the Sannidhanam with the women, hurting the sentiments of devotees.

Amid mounting pressure, Devaswom Minster Kadakampally Surendran said the activists should not try to make the holy land of Ayyappa a place to prove their strength.

The police is holding discussions with the women who still insist they should reach the shrine.

A Delhi-based woman journalist of a foreign media outlet who trekked the Sabarimala hill was Thursday stopped midway by Lord Ayyappa devotees opposing the entry of women of menstrual age into the hill shrine.

The journalist accompanied by her male colleague, a foreigner, descended the hills from Marakkoottam area in the face of mounting protest by the Ayyappa devotees.

A case has been registered against devotees who allegedly prevented her trekking and forced her to climb down the hills.

The journalist later said she and her colleague decided to return after they were stopped by an "aggressive mob" which hurled stones at them. A stone hit her on the shoulder, she said.

The Centre has asked the Kerala government to ensure peace across the state following protests against the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups to enter Sabarimala temple, officials said.

In an advisory, the Home Ministry said the maintenance of law and order, including providing security to women wishing to visit the temple, was the responsibility of the state government.

The Kerala government must ensure law and order and full compliance of the Supreme Court order allowing women of the menstrual age group to visit Sabarimala Temple of Lord Ayyappa, a Home Ministry official said.

A day after devotees opposing entry of women into Sabarimala Temple clashed with the police at Nilackal, the Kerala government on Thursday charged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was trying to "destroy" the Ayyappa shrine by "unleashing terror".

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, countered the allegation, saying the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front government was trying to tarnish the temple and was responsible for creating tension at the shrine.

Blocking devotees from proceeding to the temple and forcing them to return by creating terror was part of the RSS-Sangh Parivar's move to "destroy" Sabarimala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan charged in a Facebook post.

Reacting to developments at Sabarimala, BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai demanded a judicial probe into the circumstances that led to the violence and the lathi-charge by police against protesters.

Buses and auto-rickshaws stayed off the roads as a hartal called by various Hindu outfits in Kerala against the decision to allow women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala temple began on Thursday.

Special security arrangements have been put in place at various locations including Pamba, Nilackal, Erumeli en route to the Sabarimala temple, located in Pathanamthitta district, officials said.

However, stray incidents of stone-pelting on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses were reported from some parts of the state, the police said. Private vehicles were plying in some areas.

Police have also promulgated Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure in four places including Pamba, Sannidhanam to check any protest and violence.

The Sabarimala Samarakashna Samithi, an outfit of devotees, has called the hartal to protest the Wednesday 'police lathicharge' against Lord Ayyappa devotees at Nilackal, the base camp of Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.

The BJP and its NDA partners have extended their support to the hartal call. The Congress said it would not join the strike but hold protest demonstrations across the state on Thursday.

Protesters opposing the Supreme Court order on women's entry into Sabarimala temple turned violent at Nilackal on Wednesday and clashed with police, which resorted to baton-charge.

An elderly woman and a few other peoples were injured as police tried to disperse the crowd shortly before the temple of Lord Ayyappa was to open for monthly pooja. Several vehicles were also damaged in the stone pelting as tension continued to prevail in the area.

As agitating devotees took to the streets in large numbers over the Sabarimala issue, the opposition BJP and Congress Wednesday joined their stir at Pamba and Nilackal, the entry points to the hill shrine.

With the issue of women of all age groups being allowed into the Lord Ayyappa temple taking a political turn, the BJP and Congress have extended support to devotees who are protesting against the CPI(M)-led LDF government's decision to implement the verdict and not file a review petition.

The Left front government termed the agitation as "politically motivated" and said it would be met politically.

Women journalists were heckled, their vehicles smashed and young female Ayyappa devotees turned back as hordes of Hindu right activists besieged the road leading to the Sabarimala temple whose gates open for women of menstrual age Wednesday evening for the first time after the Supreme Court's verdict.

Some people were taken into custody by police at Nilackal for staging protests against the decision to allow women in the menstruating age into the Ayyappa shrine.

Kerala Police chief Loknath Behera said in Thiruvananthapuram that no one would be allowed to disturb the law and order situation in the state.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered at Nilackal, the main gateway to Sabarimala, hours after the police used force to disperse devotees opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the hill shrine.

Women devotees have also gathered at Nilackal where firebrand right wing Hindu leader KP Sasikala would address a gathering. Congress also staged a sit-in protest at Nilackal.

Earlier, the police, deployed in large numbers in Nilackal, some 20 kilometers away from the Sabarimala hilltop, had removed a makeshift shelter erected by a protesting group- Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samiti.

Some activists of the Samiti, who had stayed back at Nilackal, also allegedly prevented mediapersons from carrying out their work. Crews of various TV news channels were asked to leave and were able to return only after additional policemen were deployed in the area.

Around 500 police personnel, including women, have been deployed in Nilackal to ensure a safe passage to pilgrims to the Ayyappa temple.

Tension is brewing in some parts of Kerala hours ahead of the opening of the ancient Sabarimala Temple for monthly prayers today with devotees opposing the Supreme Court order stepping up protests and police taking some of them into custody.

Two women devotees could not proceed to the shrine after protests against the decision to allow women in the menstruating age into the Ayyappa shrine.

A woman from Andhra Pradesh who had tried to climb the Sabarimala Hills to reach the Ayyappa temple, had to return to Pamba following protests by male devotees.

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.

The passengers including women chanting Ayyappa mantra urged the woman, Liby, not to violate the custom of the shrine where women in the menstruating age group are not allowed.

Liby said she would climb the hills and no one had the right to violate the freedom granted by the Supreme Court.

The woman was later escorted to the bus station by the police.

Police have strengthened security in Pamba, Nilackal and Erumeli, which are important centres to be covered before reaching Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.