Kasaragod: BJP/RSS workers pelt stones on women for forming wall of gender equality

Kasaragod, Jan 1: Tension prevailed at Chettukuunu in Kasaragod district during the participation of women in the 620-km long Kerala state sponsored ''Women's Wall'' campaign to uphold gender equality and renaissance values.

Reports reaching here said, a group of alleged BJP/RSS workers had pelted stones on the women volunteers who were arriving at the place to line up for the wall besides setting on fire the vegetation alongside the railway track, making it impossible for them to line up in the wall.

The workers hurled stones at the women and policemen, injuring three personnel, police said. Police fired in the air and burst teargas shells to disperse the workers.

The incident occurred just as the human wall initiative was coming to a close Tuesday evening.

Media personnel of two television channels were also attacked by the saffron activists, who reportedly forced them to delete the visuals of the incident.

The highway at this 500 metre stretch is parrelel and close to the Railway line and the thick fumes spread all over forced the wall break up at this area.

Lakhs of women from various walks of life on Tuesday participated in the 620-km long state sponsored ''Women's Wall'' campaign to uphold gender equality and renaissance values.

The "Women's wall" was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine.

With the Kerala Minister for Health K K Shylaja standing first led the chain here.

In Kannur, the bastion of CPI(M), heavy turnout of women was witnessed from even the interior villages, to form part of the "Women's Wall".

The enthusiasm was overwhelming in Kozhikode with women from the various parts of the district and also from the neighbouring district of Wayanad, lined up to make Women's Wall stretch out upto Iykkarapadi, its border with Malappuram, covering a distance of 79 kilometers.