Sabarimala temple opening latest news: Amid violent protests and tightened security, the doors of Sabarimala temple opened a little before 5pm on Wednesday. Section 144 will be imposed in four places near the iconic shrine, including Pamban and Nilakkal
Several teams of journalists were attacked by the protesters. CNN-News18 crew covering the Sabarimala protests was also attacked by a mob at the Nilakkal base camp, the main gateway to the hill shrine, in a cowardly tactic designed to intimidate women devotees ahead of the temple’s opening.
The anti-women protesters surrounded the car in which News18’s reporter Radhika Ramaswamy was travelling and abused her verbally, asking her to turn back. Even as cops at the spot looked on, more protesters joined in. They tried to pull her out, attacked the car, broke the window panes and hit the vehicles with sticks. The goons also vandalised the camera equipment that the crew was carrying.
Two women who tried to enter the Sabarimala shrine on Wednesday were also stopped by angry devotees as Kerala remained on the edge over protests against the Supreme Court verdict allowing entry into the shrine to women of all age groups.
Madhavim, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, and Libi, a journalist from Kerala, dared to break the centuries-old custom and enter the temple but were forced to turn back.
Tension prevailed in Kerala’s Nilakkal, the main gateway to Sabarimala, on Wednesday after police used force to disperse devotees opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age.
Acting tough, the police removed a makeshift shelter erected by a protesting group named Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samiti. However, within a few hours, the group was back at the spot, chanting Ayyappa mantra in protest against the Supreme Court order. They also detained activist Rahul Easwar, who is spearheading the protests against the Supreme Court verdict.
Hours ahead of opening of the hill shrine for the monthly prayer, police said they would not let anyone block the movement of devotees. Taking full control of Nilakkal, police also warned against those who create hurdles in the ways of pilgrims to the hill shrine.
The situation on the ground, however, seemed to belie the claims of the police. Angry demonstrators pelted stones at vehicles after cops did not allow them to carry a search operation and stop women in the 10-50 age group from entering the shrine.
Women cops, too, faced backlash from protesters, who questioned their deployment. Three female police personnel were stopped by Easwar and his supporters at Pamba. A bus carrying police personnel was also stopped by the protesters.
As the protesters resorted to violence, Kerala Police baton chargeed them at Nilakkal. In retaliation, the mob pelted stones at cops.
The former Travancore Devaswom Board president and the wife of Kandararu Maheshwararu Tantri were taken into police custody at Pamba for protesting against the Supreme Court verdict and 50 people were booked for trying to attack a journalist. Around 500 police personnel, including women, have been deployed to ensure a safe passage to the pilgrims to the Lord Ayyappa temple.
The shrine located on the mountain ranges of the ecologically fragile Western Ghats will open at 5pm for the first time after the recent Supreme Court. The temple will be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly prayer during the Malayalam month of Thulam.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said no one would be allowed to block devotees from proceeding to Sabarimala.
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