Arrested Sabarimala pilgrims send to jail
MESSY PILGRIMAGE: Opposition parties in Kerala are up in arms against violation of the temple tradition
PATHANAMTHITTA: Sixty-nine pilgrims, who were arrested late Sunday night from Sabarimala temple after they defied prohibitory orders, were remanded to judicial custody by a court here on Monday. All arrestees, who were kept at the Maniar Police Camp in Pathanamthitta district, were produced in the court that remanded them to 14-day judicial custody.
However, before taking them to the court, the police released one person who was below 18 years of age.
Consequent to Sunday’s arrest, angry Hindu activists on Monday took to streets, raised slogans and held prayer sessions in front of police stations across the state. Union Minister K J Alphons also criticised the state government for the action.
As the news about arrests spread in Thiruvanathapuram, protesters assembled near Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence and shouted slogans.
The situation grew tense late Sunday when over 200 pilgrims did not vacate the temple premise even after 10 p.m, as ordered by the state administration, and stayed put singing Lord Ayyappa hymns and chants.
As they continued despite repeated requests from the police, action was initiated to forcefully evict the premises. This led to their arrests in a post-midnight action.
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 has clamped prohibitory orders. This is not the way things should be handled. Sabarimala pilgrims are not extremists. You can’t use force in this place.”
Kerala Minister for Devaswoms (temples) Kadakampally Surendran, reacting sharply to the allegations said it was not pilgrims but Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) goons who had taken over the Lord Ayyappa shrine, and backed the police action.
“He (Alphons) should not have said things without knowing facts,” Surendran said.
Alphons who was headed to the hill temple said he would inspect how the state has utilised the Rs 100-crore relief fund from the Centre. “I will go around the temple town to make sure how the funds have been used.”
Surendran said: “It’s true that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for various projects in Sabarimala and the deadline for implementing it ends in July 2019.
“But the unprecedented floods saw close to Rs 19 crore of work in progress in projects getting washed away in September.
“What happened in the temple premises last night was a takeover by the RSS goons. The police pleaded with them to return as it’s against the law to remain there. It was only after they refused to move that the police acted.”
After going around the place, Alphons said the state government has failed miserably in setting up the basic infrastructure.
“Toilets are placed five feet above the ground and it appears one needs a lift to reach the toilet,” said Alphons.