Sabarimala Tension Mounts, 4 More Women Denied Entry

Pilgrims from other States join protest

- Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

With hardly 24 hours left for the closure of the Sabarimala temple in Kerala after the five­-day rituals, the hilltop shrine continued to witness unruly scenes.

Protesters prevented as many as four women in the age group of 10­50 from entering the temple on Sunday in violation of the Supreme Court order. The police had a tough time managing the situation when the women reached the pilgrim centre. The scenes were similar to those witnessed on previous days when a few other women were denied entry.

Police strategy fails

The police strategy to identify the protesters and keep them away from Pampa did not work. Many pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, too, were found voluntarily joining the protesters, demanding due protection of custom and practices.