Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 28
Over 3,345 protesters who prevented women from entering the Sabarimala temple, have been arrested since since October 26 while 517 cases have been registered at various police stations across Kerala, authorities said on Sunday.
On Sunday morning, Sabarimala tantri family member and activist Rahul Eashwar was arrested here taking the total number of arrests 3,346. He has been taken to Kochi.
Eashwar was arrested after the police received a complaint stating that he had made provocative remarks over the issue at a press conference in Kochi last week.
Meanwhile in the last 12 hours, over 500 arrests was recorded at police stations in Pathanamthitta district -- where the Lord Ayyappa shrine is located -- as well as Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam.
So far only 122 are in remand, while others have been released on bail, according to the police.
However, Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra has directed that no arrest should be made of those people who protested by taking part in singing hymns and prayers.
These arrests have been made for defying the September 28 Supreme Court order that overturned a ban on women of menstrual age (10-50 years) from entering the hilltop temple where celibate deity Lord Ayyappa is worshipped.
Defending the arrests, state Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Sunday told the media that this wasnormal police action when the rule of law is breached.
"During the previous Congress-led UDF rule, over four lakh cases were registered against our workers. Is it not natural for the police to act when rules are broken?" asked Balakrishnan.
On October 17, the temple opened for the five-day monthly puja.
However, the protesters ensured that no women in the barred age group could enter sanctum sanctorum until October 22 when the gates closed.
We will be with devotees when Sabarimala temple opens: BJP
The BJP will continue to stand by devotees opposed to the entry of all women to the Sabarimala temple, Kerala BJP President P.S. Sreedharan Pillai said on Sunday.
Pillai also announced a series of protests to ensure that Sabarimala's uniqueness -- keeping away women in the age group of 10 to 50 -- was kept intact.
The temple closed after five days of monthly puja on October 22. It will now open at 5 p.m. on November 5 and close the next day at 10 p.m.
"We will be in full strength and will support the devotees' wishes when the temple opens on the 5th," Pillai told the media.
"The situation in Kerala is worse than the Emergency days," he said. "People are being arrested at midnight just because they protested in a peaceful manner, fighting for the rights of the devotees of Lord Ayyappa."
An estimated 3,345 protesters who prevented women from entering the Sabarimala temple have been arrested since October 26 while 517 cases have been registered at various police stations across the state.
Pillai said that across the country there were many temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa but the temple at Sabarimala was unique.
He said he would stage a day-long protest outside the office of the Kerala Police chief. A 'rath yatra' will start from a temple in Kasargode on November 8 and reach Pathanamthitta - where the Sabarimala temple is located -- on November 13."
