Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Tuesday morning witnessed massive protests by devotees after a woman managed to reach the holy steps of the hill shrine.
It was a cool morning on Diwali day and devotees were chanting prayers in front of Sannidhanam when suddenly the commotion started. Around 6.50 am, news came trickling in that a woman seemingly below the age of 50 was coming for Darshan along with a group. The chanting of the horde of devotees turned to sloganeering and they blocked her entry.
The woman was 51 years old, said the policemen deployed at the shrine, but protestors claimed she lied to the cops on her age. Police remained helpless and young policemen got beaten up while trying to bring her to safety. Media was attacked and Amrita TV senior cameraman, Biju Muraleedharan was hit on his forehead with a coconut wound in a bathtowel. He was seen bleeding profusely. Asianet reporter Anoop Balachandran was also waylaid and attacked and several media persons were attacked.
Speaking to TNIE, BJP leader K Surendran said, " The devotees protested with chants after they found a woman being forcibly brought by the cops to Sannidhanam. However, they stopped protest after she furnished documents to prove her claim."
The woman devotee was identified as one Lalitha, w/o Ravi, from Tirur in Thrissur district of Kerala.
#Kerala: Lalitha (Pic 1: in the centre), a 52-year-old woman devotee from Thrissur, whose entry to #SabarimalTemple was opposed by protesters, offered prayers at the temple under police protection. She had come along with her family. pic.twitter.com/RdJeWflhk4
Even after it was confirmed that Lalitha was above 50, the mob was reluctant to disperse. Later, some women BJP leaders escorted her to Sannidhanam. Women devotees led by Tamilnadu BJP's Anumouli while speaking to media said " We are not against Lalitha. We have taken her for Darshan and we are against the anti-Sabarimala policy of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his police"
MT Ramesh, BJP state general secretary, said, "The police and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan are behind the havoc in Sabarimala. Devotees are pained at the high-handedness of police who are trying to make women enter Sannidhanam at any cost. This is highly deplorable and BJP protests against the police acting like CPM goons in Sabarimala."
Lalitha's presence saw devotees sit on the sacred eighteen steps in protest. It may be noted that the eighteen steps cannot be climbed without Irumudi kettu . However, this protest has turned into a big embarrassment as the very people who are clamouring for the respect and retainment of customs and rituals are blatantly breaking them.
A devotee from Andhra's Guntur, Vijayalakshmi, was also blocked from entering the shrine and was allowed only after she showed her identity card. Vijayalakshmi told Express, "Things have reached such a situation that women above the restricted age are also blocked and scrutinised. This is new to Sabarimala and this is happening after the Supreme Court verdict."
RSS leader Valsan Thillankery, Swami Bhargava Ram and BJP leader VV Rajesh are at Sannidhanam. National leader of RSS J Nandakumar left the shrine early in the morning.
RSS leader Valsan Thillankery who is in charge of coordinating the devotees while speaking to Express said, "We are not aware of who conducted these attacks and we give lot of respect to media persons.
Several anti-social elements have percolated among the devotees and I believe that this attack is the handiwork of these miscreants. We strongly disapprove of these attacks".
The doors to Ayyappa temple opened on Monday for the second time in three weeks for a two-day special puja amid unprecedented security over apprehension of protests by those opposing the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups into the shrine.