Sabarimala, Oct 17: BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) extended its support to the 'dawn-to-dusk' hartal called by 'Sabarimala Karma Samiti' on Thursday in protest against the police atrocities against the agitating devotees opposing the Supreme Court order allowing the entry for women of 10-50 age group into Lord Ayyappa temple.
Addressing a press conference at Pathanamthitta, Kerala BJP President PS Sreedharan Pillai, who is also Chairman of NDA, urged the party workers to observe the hartal in a peaceful manner.
Blaming the Communist Government for Wednesday's heavy lathicharge against the devotees, Mr Pillai said the Government must understand that 'people are on the road to protect their beliefs, customs and traditions'.
Police deliberately provoked the agitators by pelting stones on them and later resorted to lathicharge against devotees including women who were peacefully staging procession chanting Ayyappa prayers, he added.
Hundreds of innocent devotees were injured in the police action, which was in a revengeful manner, he alleged.
Meanwhile, the District Administration imposed a prohibitiory order for the next two-days at four places -- Elavunkal, Nilakkal, Pamba and Sannidanam. A ban on all kind of agitations in 30-km periphery was also declared in the wake of escalating violence.
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 empowers an executive magistrate to prohibit an assembly of more than four persons in an area. However, Section 144 is not applicable to devotees.This is the first time in the history of Sabarimala, that Section 144 was declared, sources said.
The arrest of several leaders including Tantri family member Rahul Easwar and activists of various Hindu organisations including Anthrashtreeya Hindu Parshat (AHP) provoked the agitators to intensify their protest.
Police also began search operations in the Sabarimala Forest to nab the people those involved in the violence.
More than 1000 police personnel have been deployed at various places at Nilakkal, Pampa and Sannidanam, the hill abode of Lord Ayyappa. ADGP Amit Kanth and Range IG Manoj Abraham were taking stock of the situation.
However, thousands of devotees who came for Darshan entered the temple this evening to witness the opening ceremony and the monthly poojas.
The temple was opened at 1700 hrs by Melsanthi (Head Priest) in the presence of Tantri (Chief Priest) Rajeev Kantararu.
Meanwhike, Temple Tantri (Chief Priest) Rajeev Kantararu denied media reports that the temple will be closed if the women enter into it during the five-day Poojas.
Meanwhile, State BJP General Secretary K Surendran decried the lathicharge against the agitating devotees.
Talking to newspersons here, Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadkampally Surendran appealed to the BJP leaders to withdraw their agitation and keep away from misguiding the devotees.
The Minister also urged the BJP leaders to react positively to create a hassle-free pilgrimage for the next five days.
Senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran alleged that the Communist Government in Kerala was hurting the religious sentiments of devotees and blamed the police for resorting to lathicharge against the devotees who are staging the protest peacefully.
Several women mediapersons also came under the attack of agitating devotees who were opposing the entry of women of all ages at world famous Lord Ayyappa temple here.
Republic TV's Pooja Prasanna, Saritha S Balan of the News Minute, NDTV Reporter Sneha Mary Koshy and cameraman SP Babu, personnel from ETV, CNN-News 18 and Aaj Tak had to experience the wrath of agitating devotees.
Several journalists of Malayalam channels were also subjected to manhandling by the agitating devotees including women.
Hundreds of people blocked the vehicles of media persons especially women who came to report the tensed situation arose after the Apex Court verdict allowing the entry for women of all ages into the temple.
The activists of Sabarimala Protection Committee, Ayyappa Dharma Sena and other organisations blocked the vehicles, verbally abused the journalists and alighted them from their vehicles.
Though the police had succeeded in chasing away the activities, the devotees reunited again and pelted stones against the police and media.
The devotees alleged that the media reporting was one-sided. Many vehicles were damaged in the attack by the agitating mob.
Angered local people gheraoed a young women, said to be an active member of an atheist group, at the Pathanamthitta Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus stand, when she attempted to visit the famed Sabarimala temple on the first day after it reopens this evening for a five-day Poojas.
The women, identified as Libi C S, a native of Aruthungal in Cherthala of Alappuzha district, belonged to a Christian community and an active member of an atheist group, formed by her after she ws expelled by a rationalist organisation.
When asked about the reaction of the rationalist organisation, where she was a member and later expelled, it said that we have nothing to do with that, it is all her decision and she has to face all.
When the government was taking all measures to ensure the safety of the women devotees to enter Ayyappa temple, the attempt of an atheist member to enter Sabarimala raised eyebrows among the public, as it was not at all with its sincere effort, but creating issues with the devotees.
Local people, including women passengers, who stopped the woman, shouted that ‘’we would never allow to move her to Sabarimala. She has no sign of a devotee, she has no proper preparation like other devotees and hence we will not allow here to move further.’’
As the protest mounted, police later taken her to Pathanamthitta police station.
Police said that we have rescued the women from the ire of the public and let her free and she can leave for her destination.
The women told the police that she wanted to go to sabarimala in view of the Supreme Court verdict and the democracy should be maintained.
In a face book post on Wednesday, she said ‘’friends four of us are leaving to Sabarimala today, which include atheists like me and two devotees. I am going to sabarimala because I have any wish to do so."
The BJP Alpuazha unit has decided to organize a march and stage dharna in front of the house of Libi at Arthungal, party sources said.
Earlier in the day, a 45-year-old women devotee from Andhra Pradesh, had tried to go sabarimala. However, her attempt with the police escort was spoiled by the agitating Ayyapa devotees at traditional way to Sabarimala Hill shrine.
In this morning, former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President Prayar Gopalakrishnan and a few members of Tantri Family were arrested while they were staging a dharna at pampa in protest against the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of women aged between 10-50 into the Sabarimala temple.
At one stage, the situation went out of control when the agitating devotees stepped up their protest by pelting stones on police and media vehicles and blocked the entry of women who reached Nilakkal and Pamba.
Police filed cases against more than 100 agitating devotees who blocked the entry of women at Nilakkal and Pamba. All the arrested were taken to Pathanamthitta police station.
Meanwhile, BJP State President PS Sreedharan Pillai who began a full-day fast at Pathanamthitta town this morning said party's two General Secretaries MT Ramesh and AN Radhakrishnan have been deputed at Pampa and Nilakkal where Ayyappa Dharma Sena, Sabarimala Samrakshana Samiti and several Hindu organisations were staging sit-in dharna.
Several roadside tents removed by the police this morning were reconstructed by the agitating devotees again in the afternoon.
Police sources said several devotees including from Northern district Kannur are on the way to Nilakkal and Pamba to take part in the agitation protesting against the Apex Court order allowing the entry for women.
The devotees also clashed with the police when Rahul Easwar, his 90-year-old grandmother and hundreds of devotees, who accompanied them to the hill shrine, were deboarded from their vehicles by the police at Nilakkal, the base camp at 0415 hrs.
Last night, several interior places were virtually turned as a battle ground when the devotees clashed with the police.
Early Wednesday morning, the police also arrested a few people who blocked the roads and conducted searches on vehicles enroute to Sabarimala.
DGP Loknath Behra said the police will implement the SC order at any cost and nobody will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the Congress-led UDF will conduct a month-long public awareness on Sabarimala issue. The party will stage corner meetings on Thursday in protest against the police action, he added.
He alleged that CPI-M and BJP were trying to convert Sabarimala as a war zone to encash mileage out of it.
The Left Government is fully responsible for the present crisis as they withdrew the affidavit given by previous UDF Govt in SC in 2016 and filed a fresh affidavit stating women of all ages can be given entry to the temple.
Comments
Add new comment