1,400 held across Kerala for Sabarimala protests
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala police cracked down on potential troublemakers on Friday, arresting at least 1,400 people, a day after violent protests rocked the state over the taboo entry of two women of childbearing age into the centuries-old Sabarimala temple. A third woman in her 40s too entered the shrine on Thursday night, the police said.
A proposed visit on Sunday to Pathanmathitta by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was, meanwhile, cancelled. Pathanmathitta is the district where Sabarimala, a shrine to the Lord Ayyappa, is located, and Modi had been expected to address the Bharatiya Janata Party’s first political rally in south India ahead of the summer general election.
“The PM’S visit to Pathanmathitta on January 6 was postponed due to some other engagements. Though it is nothing to do with the present situation, we don’t want to aggravate the situation further,” a senior BJP functionary said on condition of anonymity.
Police began the crackdown on potential troublemakers in an operation code-named Broken Window following violent protests on Thursday by Hindu traditionalists and activists, who clashed with the police and political rivals, leaving at least 250 people, including 38 policemen, injured. The police said 1,400 were arrested in the crackdown.
The BJP claimed that the Left Democratic Front government of Kerala led by the CPI(M) was using the police to hound its workers. “Police are targeting only [our] party workers. Many CPI(M) workers involved in attacks are let off...,” said party general secretary MT Ramesh.
The BJP also said it would continue its black flag demonstrations against all ministers of the LDF government.
On Wednesday, Bindu Ammini, 42, and Kanakadurga, 44, escorted by a group of policemen, became the first women below the age of 50 to enter the Sabarimala temple, defying a centuries-old tradition, after the Supreme Court in September last year threw open the shrine to women of all ages.