Sabarimala Temple: Lord Ayyappa devotees stage protest in Chennai

The controversy over Sabarimala temple and the Supreme Court’s order does not seem to end at any time soon. After Shiv Sena’s threat of committing mass suicide if young women are allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple, now Lord Ayappa followers are taking out a march in Chennai against the Supreme Court’s 28 September verdict.

In Kerala, Akhil Hindu Parishad has also staged a protest in Trivandrum demanding an ordinance in state assembly against Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter the SabarimalaTemple, reported ANI.

The Kerala unit of Shiv Sena on Saturday protested against the apex court’s order of allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple. The saffron outfit even dared women to enter the temple premise and face the consequences.

Tamil Nadu: Lord Ayyappa devotees take out a march in Chennai in protest against Supreme Court verdict over women’s entry in #SabarimalaTemple. pic.twitter.com/zIQCOcqG1L

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2018

Member of the Sena said quoted by ANI as saying, “Our women activists will gather near the Pamba river on October 17 and 18 as part of a suicide group. If any young woman tries to enter Sabarimala, our activists will commit suicide.”

This was not the first time that Sena members have defied the apex court’s order. They have been vocal about women being allowed to enter the premise of the temple and have condemned the decision to allow women of menstruating age at the Sabarimala temple. According to them, this is against the centuries-old custom at the shrine.

However, the Supreme Court had ordered women to allow inside the premise, as the bench announced “the attribute of devotion to divinity cannot be subjected to the rigidity and stereotypes of gender” in their September 28 ruling. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that his government would follow the top court’s order, while another outfit RSS have said that they will file a review petition in the top court.

Also read: Sabarimala temple: Kollam Thulasi makes controversial comment, case filed