THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Hindu Aikya Vedi and several Ayyappa Bhakta Samajams organised road blockades across the state in protest against the state government’s hasty implementation of the Supreme Court order to allow women in the age group of 10 to 50 years to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
The programme was conducted across 200 centres in the state.
Hindu Aikya Vedi leader E S Biju while speaking to Express said, “The programme is a huge success and devotees cutting across political lines have taken part in the blockade in the fight to save their beliefs. No woman believer will insist she wants to go to Sabarimala and the government is trying to implement the Supreme Court order in haste even without going for a review petition and this is highly objectionable.”
BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally inaugurated the Long March organised by the NDA from Pandalam to the Secretariat and he said both the state and Central governments should join together and give support to the believers and added the struggle in the coming days will be severe.The march will reach Thiruvananthapuram on October 15 after passing through Kollam and Alappuzha districts. In Idukki district, the road blockade had a huge response and traffic was hit with a large number of devotees, including women and children, taking part in the blockade.
Thiruvananthapuram city came to a standstill after thousands of women chanted prayers and roads and alleys resonated with their chants. In Thiruvananthapuram, road blockade took place in Kesavadasapuram, Pappanamcode, Pazhavangadi and Kazhakootam. Hindu Aikya Vedi state president K P Sasikala inaugurated the protest blockade at Kesavadasapuram. In the inaugural address, she said the Supreme Court verdict came owing to the failure of the state government and added the government should rectify the mistake it has committed.
The Hindu Aikya Vedi leader said while the government is trying to implement the Supreme Court verdict why was it soft-pedalling on the T P Senkumar case, bar case, Medical College case and added the reason for doing this was because of the revenue associated with the temple.