Sabarimala row: Protesting devotees clash with media persons, one photojournalist injured

Clashes were reported after protesting devotees targeted the media persons at Sabarimala Temple on Tuesday morning, resulting in a photojournalist reportedly getting injured. The clashes erupted after reports emerged of a woman devotee, allegedly of menstruating age, attempting to enter the temple.

Hundreds of protesting devotees gathered at Sannidhanam or the inner courtyard in order to agitate against the alleged entry of the woman. As per news agency ANI, the injured person has been identified as Amrita TV cameraperson Biju.

Kerala: Amrita TV cameraman Biju, injured during protests at #SabarimalaTemple over the entry of a woman devotee pic.twitter.com/ZbOqsbXS6u

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2018

Meanwhile, the police have confirmed that the woman named Lalitha is 52 years of age and had come to the temple with her son. The two have been escorted to the temple by the police.

#Kerala: Lalitha (Pic 1: in the centre), a 52-year-old woman devotee from Thrissur, whose entry to #SabarimalTemple was opposed by protesters, offered prayers at the temple under police protection. She had come along with her family. pic.twitter.com/RdJeWflhk4

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2018

The doors of the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala were opened on Monday evening for 24 hours for a special pooja amid stringent security over a fear of protests by those opposing the Supreme Court’s order allowing women of all age groups into the temple.

On Monday, a 25-year-old woman, heading for the shrine with her husband and two children, was stopped at Pamba, the base camp from where devotees start the trek to the hilltop shrine. A police official had said, “We have information a woman on way to the temple but nobody has approached us so far for security.”

On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the then chief justice Dipak Misra, lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.

After the judgement, Kerala has witnessed massive protests by Lord Ayyappa devotees opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple since the government decided to implement the Supreme Court order.

However, no woman in the age group of 10-50 years has yet been able to visit Sabarimala temple since the top court’s order.

Also Read: Sabarimala agitation ‘part of BJP’s agenda”: Kerala party president Sreedharan Pillai