With the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala set to open at 5 pm on Friday for monthly rituals that mark the beginning of the annual pilgrimage season, the Kerala police have brought Sabarimala and the pilgrim base camps at Pampa and Nilackal under strict vigil.
This has been done in view of the ongoing protests by various right-wing organisations against the Supreme Court verdict permitting entry for women of all ages to the temple.
Gender equality activist Trupti Desai, who landed in Kochi on Friday morning is determined to visit the temple, even as she is disallowed to step out of the airport as every exit point has been blocked by protesters.
Here are the live updates:
Police register case for rioting and unlawful assembly
Police have registered a case against 200-odd people involved in the ongoing protest at the Cochin International Airport Limited.
"We have suo motu registered a case against 200-odd people invoking IPC Sections 143 (unlawful assembly). 147 (rioting) 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation," said P. M. Baiju, Inspector of Police, Nedumbassery.
Trupti Desai may be asked to return
As the stalemate continued, a meeting attended by Aluva tahsildar, and officials of police, airport and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was held to find a solution, sources said. She neither has a booking at any hotel nor transportation arrangements. Police are learned to have adopted the stand that they could not make any booking on her behalf or arrange for any special security but at the most arrange for her safe passage up to a point where he has arranged for the stay. The meeting has arrived at the conclusion to let her know that returning was the only feasible alternative left for her, sources said.
Pilgrims stranded at Pampa
The flood ravaged Pampa is bereft of basic pilgrim facilities. The low water-level coupled with the damaged bathing ghats has made even the customary holy dip too a tough task. Adding to the woes of the stranded pilgrims, an uneasy calm prevails in Sabarimala and surrounding areas over the purported visit of women in the restricted age group.
Stand-off shows no signs of letting up
BJP gives three-hour ultimatum
The Bharatiya Janata Party has given a three-hour ultimatum to the State government to resolve the stalemate over the arrival of gender equality activist Trupti Desai, who had announced of her intention to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala, at the Cochin International Airport Limited.
Addressing a large gathering of Ayyappa hymn-chanting protestors gathered in front of the arrival terminal to stop Ms. Desai from leaving the airport, BJP State Vice-President A.N. Radhakrishnan said that the faithful will not wait endlessly and demanded the arrest of the activist to put an end to the standoff.
"We are giving the government three hours to arrest and remove Ms. Desai failing which a historic protest will be launched across the State by the devotees," Mr. Radhakrishnan said. He alleged that Ms. Desai has been invited as the guest of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as part of a conspiracy to spark off communal riots. What is stopping the government from arresting Ms. Desai who is not a devotee and is intent on creating anarchy, Mr. Radhakrishnan asked.
A KSRTC bus from Nilackal to Pampa.
The KSRTC has begun services from Nilackal to Pampa.
The Sabarimala sannidhanam on Friday morning. The region is witnessing rainfall.
Sabarimala and surrounding areas are witnessing rains since morning. Braving the rainfall, prilgrims are continuing their trekking towards the temple. Protesters are also gathering in some pockets despite high police security.
Today's programmes at the temple
The sanctum sanctorum will open at 5 pm Friday when two new melsanthis (chief priests) — M L Vasudevan Namboodiri (Ayyappa temple) and M N Narayanan Namboodiri (Malikapapuram) will take charge.
Though devotees will be allowed inside the shrine from 5 pm-10 pm on Friday, pujas and ‘Neyabishekams’(ghee offering) will be held only when the temple opens at 4 am on November 17, the first day of Malayalam month of Vrischikom, according to a Travancore Devaswom Board release.
The stalemate at the Cochin International Airport Limited at Nedumbassery over the arrival of gender equality activist Trupti Desai, on her way to Sabarimala, crossed the five-hour mark with neither she nor the protesting activists who are resolved not to let her leave the domestic terminal willing to back down.
Leaders of the BJP and its feeder organisations are coordinating the protest. R. V. Babu of the Hindu Aikya Vedi, said that protesters wanted to avoid a confrontation and urged Ms. Desai to drop the plan and return back.
The police have deployed a 4,500-strong force at Sabarimala, Pampa and Nilackal. A posse of 1,600 policemen headed by Inspector General of Police Vijay Sakre has already been deployed at Sabarimala alone.
Some 900 policewomen would be deployed at the three places.
A company each of the National Disaster Response Force and the Rapid Action Force attached to the Central Reserve Police Force will be deployed at Sabarimala from Friday.
M.N. Gopi, BJP district secretary, said that Ms. Desai has no other way but to return dropping her plan for undertaking Sabarimala pilgrimage. "No online taxi driver has come forward to take her and the devotees will not allow her to be taken outside the airport on a police vehicle. We are organising the arrival of more protestors to the airport," he said.
Trupti Desai lands in Kochi
Tripthi Desai at Cochin International Airport on Friday.
Trupti Desai and six women pilgrims, all aged under 50, arrived at the airport by an Indigo flight from Pune at 4.40 a.m. But the group could not step out of the terminal even more than two hours after their arrival in the face of stiff protest by people claiming to be Ayyappa devotees even as their number kept swelling by the minute.
A huge posse of police personnel numbering over 100 led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police J. Himendranath has been deployed at the airport.
