Sabarimala Karma Samithi calls for statewide shutdown

The Sabarimala Karma Samithi has called for a statewide shutdown on Saturday from 6 am to 6 pm, to protest against the arrest of Hindu Aikya Vedi state president KP Sasikala at Marakkoottam on Friday night.

Sasikala, who is over 50 years of age, was arrested by Police when she was protesting against the entry of younger women into the holy shrine. Before the Supreme Court waived off age related restrictions with regard to women's entry into the shrine, girls below the age of 10 and women above 50 were allowed to worship there.

The Hindu Aikya Vedi state president, along with her group and Sabarimala Karma Samithi, has been protesting against the entry of women in menstruating women into Lord Ayappa's shrine.

This comes after activist Trupti Desai was forced to return to Pune without visiting Sabarimala Temple owing to protests against her visit.

Trupti on Wednesday wrote a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, stating that she would not leave the state if she were not allowed to enter the Sabarimala Temple and had also asked for security during the visit. However, she was unable to visit the shrine owing to a possible disruption of law and order.

Narrating her ordeal, Desai said that cab drivers were not ready to take her and her 7-member team to Sabarimala fearing agitation. "Two taxis did arrive at the airport to take us to Sabarimala. However, protesters said they would destroy the cars and attack us. Therefore, the cabs denied to take us to Sabarimala," she explained.

The Sabarimala temple and surrounding areas witnessed a string of protests recently over the Supreme Court's decision to quash restrictions on the entry of females aged between 10 and 50 years into the shrine.

As the Temple reopened yesterday for a two-month long pilgrimage season, Section 144of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was imposed in Nilakkal, Pamba, and Sannidhanman as a precautionary measure.