KOCHI: Confusion and anxiety prevailed at Kochi International Airport for more than 16 hours as activist and Bhoomatha Brigade president Trupti Desai arrived here declaring she will enter Sabarimala temple on Friday morning. The police, protesters and the airport authorities heaved a sigh of relief as she boarded a flight to Mumbai at 9.10 pm. However, Trupti said she will return and enter the temple to assert the rights of women.
The activist arrived at Kochi by an Indigo flight from Pune at 4.45 am. By the time the flight touched down, around 100 protesters reached the airport and started a Namajapa (prayer) protest declaring they will not allow her to proceed to Sabarimala. By the time it dawned, the numbers swelled and there were around 1,000 protesters squatting in front of the domestic terminal chanting Ayyappa mantra, forcing the police to stop all attempts to escort her outside the airport.
Though the police tried to arrange a cab for her, the cab drivers refused to go for the ride apprehending attacks. Meanwhile, Desai was resolute not to return without having darsan.
“I want to inform the Kerala government that I will not return to Mumbai until I get darsan of Lord Ayyappa,” she said in a video message to journalists. “From the moment I reached Kochi, there have been non-stop protests outside the terminal, denying me the opportunity to proceed to Sabarimala. Though the police tried to take me out through the cargo section, the protesters reached there also. There were attempts to assault me. I booked taxis thrice, but the drivers withdrew as protesters threatened them. I have been confined to the airport lobby along with six other women activists without food and other facilities. They can’t cow me down by these acts of vandalism,” she said.
Meanwhile, the police and the airport authorities tried to broker peace, holding discussions with the protesters and Desai. However, she was adamant she will not return without visiting Sabarimala. Though Hindu Aikya Vedi leader R V Babu sent a letter to Desai requesting for talks, she didn’t respond. BJP state general secretaries A N Radhakrishnan, K Surendran, Sobha Surendran, National executive member P K Krishnadas, party vice-president P M Velayudhan, spokesperson B Gopalakrishnan, district president N K Mohandas, Yuva Morcha state president K P Prakash Babu and others reached the airport. A sizeable number of women also participated in the protest. According to the police, the protest was peaceful.
The passengers who arrived at the airport had to face inconveniences as they had to wade through the sea of protesters. A Sangh activist said they have stationed squads at various locations on the Sabarimala route to foil any attempt to escort Desai to Sabarimala with police protection. Though the police booked a case against 250 protesters, the police never tried to forcefully remove them. Aluva DySP M J Soman held talks with the activist who maintained that she will visit the temple.
“It is a high-security zone and no protest should be held in front of the airport terminal,” CIAL MD V J Kurian told Express.
“The airport’s functioning was not hit. We didn’t ask police to remove the protesters. I held talks with Desai and those accompanying her and tried to convince them. She promised to consider my request,” he said.
Police register case against 215 protesters
Kochi: The Nedumbassery police on Friday booked a case against 250 protesters for stopping Bhoomatha Brigade leader and activist Trupti Desai and thereby affecting the functioning of Cochin International Airport. According to the police, out of this, 200 protesters are unidentified and the remaining 15 are BJP workers who include BJP district president Mohandas, district secretary M N Gopi, BJP workers P M Velayudhan, Brahmaraj, Shanmugan, Rajagopal, K G Haridas, Radhakrishnan, Satheesan, Venkatesh, Ullas, Vishnu, K T Suresh and Saleesh. The police registered the case after tehsildar’s attempts to disperse the mob failed. The police charged them with Sections 147, 188, 341 and 506 (1) of the IPC.