Activist Trupti Desai on Saturday slammed the Kerala government after several women above the age of 10 were sent back by police while they were on their way to the Sabarimala Temple, that opened today for the two-month Mandala Pooja festival. Desai, who has been a vehement critic of the restriction on the entry of women of a certain age group into the Lord Ayyappa Shrine, accused the government of working against women.
“Yesterday, the government said that they won’t provide security to women, so women are going to Sabarimala Temple without protection. Now, women are being stopped, so I think the government is working completely against women,” new agency ANI quoted her as saying.
The criticism from Desai came hours after Kerala police reportedly sent back 10 women aged between 10 and 50 back. The women had come from Andhra Pradesh to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala but were sent back as they reached Pamba near Sabarimala, according to the agency.
The Lord Ayyappa Temple opened for the two-month long pilgrim season on Saturday at 5 pm. Entry of women above the age of 10 years into the Sabarimala was banned until last year when the Supreme Court removed the controversial ban in a landmark verdict.
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