Sabarimala on the boil as 72 arrested
sabarimala — Police arrested over 70 people taking part in protests around the Sabarimala temple, after a plea was made to the Supreme Court on Monday seeking more time to follow an order to let women enter.
Seventy-two pilgrims have been arrested since late on Sunday night from Sabarimala temple after they failed to comply with prohibitory orders leading to protests here and across Kerala, police said on Monday.
While angry Hindu acitivists took to streets, raised slogans and held prayer sessions in front of police stations across the state, Union Minister K.J. Alphons criticised the state government for the action.
As news spread about the arrests, in Thiruvanathapuram protesters assembled near Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence and shouted slogans.
The situation grew tense late on Sunday, when over 200 pilgrims did not vacate the temple premise after 10pm, as ordered by the state administration and stayed put, singing Ayyappa hymns and chants.
“What the police has done is wrong. I am here with other locals to protest against the arrest of devotees,” Raghunathan Nair, one demonstrator said. He was one of the people who protested outside a police camp, where all the arrested devotees were being held.
As they continued despite repeated requests from the police, action was initiated to forcefully evict them. This led to 72 arrests in a post-midnight action. They were taken to the Maniar Police Camp in Pathanamthitta district and were to be produced before a court later on Monday, Superintendent of Police Prathish Kumar said.
Alphons on Monday reacted sharply to the arrests, and told the media in Nilackal, before heading to the shrine: “I fail to understand why the Kerala Police have clamped prohibitory orders.
“This is not the way things should be handled. Sabarimala pilgrims are not extremists. You cannot use force in this place.”
Kerala Minister for Devasoms (Temples) Kadakampally Surendran reacting sharply to the allegations said it was not pilgrims but Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) goons who had taken over the Ayyappa shrine and backed the action.
“Unlike he (Alphons) who was a senior IAS officer, who later became a legislator with us and then moved on to greener pastures, am only a simple political activist. But he should not have said things without knowing facts,” Surendran said.
Meanwhile, the board which manages Sabarimala temple approached the Supreme Court Monday to lodge a plea for more time to admit women, citing a lack of infrastructure. The temple board had expected a decision from the
court today, but no date has yet been given for the court to hear the case to delay its ruling.
While the Kerala government is trying hard to see that the apex
court verdict is implemented, the BJP/RSS, sangh parivar forces and the Congress-led UDF are up in arms against violation of the temple tradition. —