THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Undeterred by criticism, the police department will continue blocking women below 50 years of age from entering the Sabarimala shrine.
The decision holds significance in the backdrop of reports that about 350 women below 50 years have registered their names for darshan via the official portal.
Sources said 150 young women each from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have registered via the virtual queue set up by the state police. Interestingly, none from Kerala have applied so far.
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The police had turned away several women of menstruating age from trekking the hill on the first and second day of Mandala Pooja despite the Supreme Court not stalling its previous order allowing women of all age access to the shine.
The state government had earlier made it clear that activists will not be allowed in Sabarimala. This reaction came after the apex court referred the women's entry case to a seven-member constitution bench.
Police began blocking women emboldened by the state government's stand that there is ambiguity over the entry of young women in the recent apex court order.
A senior officer told Express that the police will continue what they have been doing since the temple was opened for Mandalam Pooja.
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"There will be no protection for women who wanted to enter the shrine," the officer said.
Though the official police version is that protection will not be given to young women, the reality is totally different on the ground. "All the buses to Pampa are being inspected to apprehend young women," said sources.
The state government has received legal advice that it would be ideal to put women's entry on hold till there's more clarity in the apex court verdict. The Supreme Court, considering a batch of review petitions on November 14, had referred the matter to a higher bench.