‘Conspiracy’: Kerala won't protect activists led by Trupti Desai to visit Sabarimala

News Network
November 26, 2019

Kochi, Nov 26: A team of gender rights activists led by Trupti Desai, which was headed for Sabarimala to offer prayers at Lord Ayyappa temple was denied police protection on Tuesday amidst protests by devotees, members of a right wing outfit and BJP here, against their entry into the shrine.

The Kerala government dubbed Desai's attempt to visit Sabarimala as a "conspiracy".

As soon as the team of activists landed at the airport here, they went to the city police commissionerate seeking protection to proceed to the hill shrine.

However, police declined to grant protection to them, citing the recent Supreme Court decision to review its 2018 order permitting women in all age groups into Sabarimala.

A large number of Ayyappa devotees, activists of the BJP and Sabarimala Karma Samiti gathered outside the commissionerate chanting 'Ayyappa Saranam' mantra protesting against Desai's visit.

Activist from Kerala, Bindu Ammini, who had joined Desai's team at the airport was attacked by the rightwing group member using pepper spray when she came out of the office of the commissioner to take some papers from their vehicle, police sources said.

Visuals aired by TV channels showed her being attacked.

The man identified as Srinath Padmanabhan has been arrested, police said.

Ammini, who was admitted to the general hospital here, has been discharged after the treatment, her lawyer said.

The agitators ended the protest following assurances from police officials that the women activists would not be given protection to visit the temple.

Ammini and Kanakadurga were the two women activists who had offered prayers at Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple under police security last year following the Supreme Court permitting entry of women in all age groups into the hill shrine.

Reacting cautiously, the CPI(M)-led LDF government condemned the attack on Ammini but made it clear that no women in the age group of 10 and 50 would be given police protection to climb the holy hills unless they get an order from the Supreme Court in this regard.

Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran alleged conspiracy behind women's rights activist Trupti Desai's decision to visit Sabarimala.

"The government suspects a conspiracy behind Trupti Desai's decision to go to Sabarimala. She has come from Pune, a stronghold of the RSS and the BJP," the Minister told reporters in Thalassery.

Surendran alleged the move was to create trouble during a peaceful pilgrim season in Sabarimala.

Travancore Devaswom Board president N Vasu said the board was not informed about their plan to visit the temple.

Contending that the apex court has not stayed its 2018 order permitting women in the menstrual age group into the shrine, Ammini said theywould file a contempt of court petition in the top court against the state government for not providing them police security to visit the temple.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who argued the Sabarimala case in the Supreme Court, said the likes of Desai can only do excesses in the name of activism while the final verdict for Sabarimala temple was still pending before the apex court.

"At least the sentiment of people associated with the temple must be respected before final verdict assigns rights," he said in a tweet.

Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, alleged "conspiracy" by the CPI(M) and the BJP to "sabotage" the ongoing pilgrimage to Sabarimala temple.

"While Desai is having Sangh Parivar connection, Ammini is a supporter of the CPI(M). Both of them have come to climb Sabarimala hills. This is a move to sabotage Sabarimala pilgrimage," he alleged.

The senior Congress leader also urged the government to take steps to maintain peace and sanctity of the temple.

Comments

abbu
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Nov 2019

RSS.. DEVOTEESS SHOULD OBEY THE SUPREME COURT VERDICT....... AND ALLOW WOMENS TO VISIT SABARIMALA TEMPLE........... SAME AS THEY ARE ADVISING MUSLIMS TO OBEY THE VERDICT OF BABRI MASJID....... FIRST YOU ACCEPT THE VERDICT OF SABARIMALA AND THEN MUSLIMS  WILL ALSO ACCEPT

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News Network
March 3,2020

Wayanad, Mar 3: Anguished over the alleged delay in receiving flood relief from the Kerala government, a 42-year-old man committed suicide in Wayanad district, police said on Tuesday. Sanal Kumar, a native of Thrikaipatta in Meppadi near here was found hanging inside the temporary shelter built by his friends and local people on Monday. He was among the hundreds who had lost their homes in the August 2019 floods.

His home, built on a three cent plot, had been damaged partially in 2018 floods and completely in the 2019 deluge. Family members of the deceased alleged that it was due undue delay on the part of the authorities in allotting funds for rebuilding his house that drove Kumar to take the extreme step. Kumar was hoping to get a house under the Life Mission project, sources said.

A relative said Kumar had only 3 cent of land and had lot of debts. Even the Rs 10,000 assistance promised by the state government for the flood affected, had not reached him. Since the past two years he had filed several applications for assistance and apporached many revenue authroties for the promised government assistance, but it never came, the locals alleged.

According to K K Sahad, president of Meppadi Panchayat the deceased had some other financial issues and it was not the delay in rehabilitation that made him commit suicide. "It is true that he was not included in the first list of beneficiaries under the LIFE project as he had to have "pattayam" (land records) for his land.

However, he was included in the second list, thanks to the dilution in the norms that possession was enough for those who had no 'pattayam' for their property. The amount of Rs 4 lakhs was sanctioned for him, but was delayed a bit due to some technical issues."

Wayanad MLA C K Saseendran described it as an "extremely sad" development. As Kumar had some difficulties in producing the land recrods, the authroties had been unable to include his name in the LIFE housing scheme in the first phase.

The matter has been brought before the notice of the revenue authorities, he said. Vythiri Tahsildar, Abdul Hameed, visited Kumar's relatives this morning as the family members of the deceased wanted his presence before the body was taken for post-mortem.

"There was some technical issues with regard to the land as it falls within the adhivasi reserve. But they were occupying it for long. However, the issue has been sorted out and that his family members would be getting the eligibility amount of four lakhs," Hameed said.

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News Network
June 20,2020

New Delhi, Jun 20: The government-imposed upper and lower limits on airfares may be extended beyond August 24 depending upon how the situation turns out, Aviation Secretary P S Kharola said on Saturday.

The government resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, but placed lower and upper limits on airfares depending upon the flight duration.

It had said on May 21 that these limits would be in place for a period of three months.

"Depending on how the situation turns out, the fare band may have to adjusted beyond that (August 24) also. But right now, it is only for three months," Kharola said at a press conference here.

International passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country.

However, the government started Vande Bharat Mission on May 6 to help stranded people reach their destinations through special flights.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at the conference that during phase 3 and phase 4 of the mission, private domestic airlines have been approved to operate 750 international flights to repatriate people stranded amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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News Network
May 27,2020

New Delhi, May 27: With 6,387 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, India's count of COVID-19 rose to 1,51,767 on Wednesday, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

170 people have also died in the last 24 hours due to the infection.

Currently, there are 83,004 active cases while 64,425 COVID-19 positive patients have been cured/discharged and one has migrated. So far, a total of 4,337 deaths have taken place across the country.

Among all states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 cases with 54,758. Tamil Nadu has 17,728 cases with Gujarat at 14,821 cases. The national capital has 14,465 reported cases of coronavirus.

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