Within a less bits the protesters were back at the spot and resumed their agitation against the order. Political parties have also jumped into the issue, with the Congress announcing a day-long hunger strike in support of the protesters. The BJP, too, questioned the decision of the Kerala government to act against those stopping women devotees from entering Sabarimala.
Hours ahead of opening of the hill shrine for the monthly prayer, the police said they would not let anyone to block the movement of the people. Taking the full control of Nilackal, Police also warned against those who create hurdles in the ways of pilgrims to the hill shrine. The police took strong action against the protesters after some of them checked the vehicles heading to Pamba and prevented the women in the age group of 10 and 50 from entering the hill shrine.
However, women cops too faced backlash from protesters, who questioned their deployment. Three female police personnel were stopped by activist Rahul Easwar and his supporters at Pamba.
A couple from Tamil Nadu, aged 45 and 40, on their way to Pamba, were forced to get down from the KSRTC bus Monday night allegedly by some activists of the Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samiti. Although the couple had said that they would go only up to Pamba and not climb Sabarimala, the activists prevented them. The police later took them to safety.
Some activists of the Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samiti, who had stayed back at Nilackal, also allegedly prevented the media persons from carrying out their professional duty. Crew of various TV news channels were asked to leave the place. They could return the spot after more policemen were deployed in the area.
Around 500 police personnel, including women, have been deployed to ensure a safe passage to the pilgrims to the Lord Ayyappa temple.
The shrine located on the mountain ranges of the ecologically fragile Western Ghats opens later in the evening for the first time after the recent Supreme Court.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said no one would be allowed to block devotees from proceeding to Sabarimala. Groups of women devotees including senior citizens, clad in traditional sarees, had stopped each and every vehicle at Nilackal Tuesday. Besides private vehicles, devotees even stopped and inspected Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses and asked young women to get out of them Tuesday.
Very few police personnel were present when the incidents happened. Protesting women had said no women belonging to the banned age group of 10-50 will be allowed to travel further from Nilackal and offer worship at the shrine. The temple would be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly prayer during the Malayalam month of Thulam.
