AMN / THRIVUANANTHAPURAM
The protest against the entry of women of all ages in the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala continues today with violent incidents occurred at many places.
Section 144 CrPC has been clamped in four places since today morning in Sabarimala including the Sannidhanam, Ilavunkal, Nilakkal and Pampa.
Security has been beefed up, in and around Sabarimala. Police are controlling all the arriving devotee vehicles.
The state-wide shutdown called by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi on Thursday saw huge response with near total effect while just a few private vehicles moving on road.
The dawn to dusk shutdown backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance was called against Wednesday’s police attack on protesters who were opposing the entry of women within the age group of 10-50 years to the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
The dawn to dusk hartal called by various religious organisations against the supreme court decision began today morning. Special security arrangements have been put in place at various locations including Pamba, Nilakkal, Erumeli en route to the Sabarimala temple. However, police said that stray incidents of stone-pelting on state-owned buses were reported from some parts of the state.
The BJP and its NDA partners have extended their support to the hartal call. The Congress said it would not join the strike but will hold protest demonstrations across the state today.
The temple was reopened today morning and despite the clashes, devotees in large numbers are arriving. The Lord Ayyappa temple has opened for the five-day-monthly pooja of the Malayalam month of Thulam, the first time since the apex court allowed entry of women of all age.