PAMBA: The Kerala Police have stepped up security at the base camps of Sabarimala on Saturday with unconfirmed reports about 13 women devotees with the support of 50 male devotees are planning to enter the hill shrine.
It is still unknown if the women devotees will reach the shrine today.
Prohibitory order, which had been in place in Sabarimala, Ilavunkal and Pamba, has been extended to Monday when the shrine gets shut down after pujas for the month of Thulam.
BJP leader K Surendran said that the Ayyappa devotees would continue their protest to ensure that women in the age group of 10 to 50 do not enter Sabarimala.
War of words continued over women's entry into Sabarimala when (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury compared the violence in Sabarimala with the uproar witnessed during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said the Sabarimala Temple was southern India's Ayodhya.
Speaking to ANI, Bansal thanked the devotees who have been aggressively protesting against the Supreme Court's verdict that quashed restrictions imposed on the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple.
"Good that Sitharam Yechury has himself compared Sabarimala with Ayodhya because yes Sabarimala is South's Ayodhya. The way sanctity, religious belief and the serenity of Sabarimala have been attacked shows the reality of the CPI (M).
The CPI (M) remains blind and ignorant on Kerala nun suffering, the way non-Hindus are appointed in Travancore Devaswom Board. I appreciate and thank the people who are protesting and saving the sanctity of the temple," the VHP spokesperson said.
52-year-old woman pays darshan at Sabarimala amid protests
A 52-year-old woman devotee from tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu managed to trek to the hill shrine and paid a darshan of the Lord.
Suspecting that she was below 50, protesters stopped Latha at entrance of the shrine and asked her to produce documents for proof of age.
Latha said this was the second time she had come to temple for darshan.
Later, police intervened and let her into the temple with protection.