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Sabarimala temple row Highlights: Shrine opens, Section 144 imposed in surrounding area
Sabarimala temple gates opened at 5 pm on Wednesday as protests against the entry for women devotees of menstrual age turned violent.Despite the Supreme Court order, no women turned up at the opening of the temple.Earlier in the day, clashes erupted as protesters tried to stop women the temple, with police waving batons charging stone-throwing protestors.The protesting group of devotees had been staging a sit-in chanting Ayyappa mantra in the shelter in protest against the Supreme Court order permitting women of all age groups to enter the shrine.Here are the highlights:
8:23 pm IST
Devotees offer prayers at Sabarimala
7:33 pm IST
Bus carrying journalists, others vandalised near Nilakkal base camp
Kerala: A bus, carrying journalists among other passengers, was vandalised at Laka near Nilakkal base camp by protesters this evening. Stones were pelted on the bus. #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/5JVJtRLLmQ
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
7:04 pm IST
Devotees climb Pathinettam Padi to enter Sabarimala
Kerala: Devotees climb the sacred Pathinettam Padi to enter the #SabarimalaTemple to offer prayers. pic.twitter.com/lGMLwxV1kL
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
6:45 pm IST
Police seen vandalising vehicles in Pampa
#WATCH #Kerala: Police personnel vandalise vehicles parked in Pampa. Incidents of violence had broken out today in parts of the state over the entry of women of all age groups in #SabarimalaTemple. pic.twitter.com/xi3H4f5UUU
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
6:33 pm IST
Security tightened in Pamba and Nilakkal
DGP Lonknath Behera said 700 additional police personnel had already been deployed in Pamba and Nilakkal, the base camps of Sabarimala pilgrimage, to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of devotees proceeding to the temple.
“At least 700 armed police personnel, 100 of them women, are already placed in various locations. A team of commandos will also be deployed soon,” he said.
6:28 pm IST
Prayers being offered at Sabarimalatemple
#WATCH: Prayers being offered at #SabarimalaTemple after its portals opened at 5 pm; devotees can offer prayers till 10.30 pm today. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/rBuneRDatN
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
6:25 pm IST
RSS-BJP is behind all of this: Kerala minister on violence
10 KSRTC buses were damaged. Devotees from other states were beaten up & sent back. RSS-BJP is behind all of this. Supreme Court rule applies to all, the govt is just following & implementing it: EP Jayarajan, Kerala minister on incidents of violence today. #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/XTMAYJVQIm
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
6:17 pm IST
Hindu outfits call for 24-hour state wide shutdown
24-hour state wide shutdown on Thursday called by Sabarimala Samrakshna Samiti, an umbrella organisation of many Hindu outfits.
6:03 pm IST
Kerala’s temple affairs minister blames RSS for violence
Kerala’s temple affairs minister Kadakampally Surendran blamed RSS for the violence.
5:46 pm IST
Section 144 declarerd in 4 areas including 2 base camps
After violence, Section 144 was declared in four areas including two base camps.
5:13 pm IST
Sabarimala temple gates open
Sabarimala temple gates open amid protests with no women in the menstruating age group in the queue.
The devotees can offer prayers till 10.30 pm today. The portals remain open till 22nd October.
4:47 pm IST
Female reporters attacked near Sabarimala temple
A female journalist from CNN NEWS 18 was attacked by protesters, who smashed the windows of the car she was travelling in in view of the police, footage from the channel showed.
Saritha Balan, a journalist from online publication The News Minute, was kicked by protesters while accompanying devotees trying to access the site, she told Indian TV, while camera crews from several other channels had their vehicles vandalised.
ANI says its reporter Ayushmaan Kumar was attacked by protesters at Nilakkal base camp when he was taking the pictures of women checking the buses for women devotees.
4:54 pm IST
Pilgrims wait for Sabarimala temple gates to open
4:45 pm IST
It’s a very unfortunate situation: BJP leader on violence at Nilakkal
LDF govt is fully responsible for any law and order situation in state. It’s a very unfortunate situation, we aren’t responsible. No BJP worker is involved, we’re condemning that attempt: BJP’s MS Kumar on incidents of violence at Nilakkal base camp.
4:13pm IST
Police lathi-charge protesters gathered at Nilakkal base camp
Police with batons charged a group of more than one hundred protestors trying to prevent women accessing the Sabarimala temple, an AFP reporter at the scene said. Demonstrators threw stones at police.
#WATCH: Police lathi-charge and pelt stones at the protesters gathered at Nilakkal base camp, in Kerala. #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/DMC1ePz0l2
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
4:00pm IST
Meeting underway at NCW office to discuss steps to be taken
The National Commission for Women has taken cognizance of the attack on women journalists in the ongoing protests at Sabarimala. A meeting is underway at NCW office for further steps to be taken.
3:48pm IST
Scenes of street battle at Nilakkal
Many cops, mediapersons and protesters injured in violence at Nilakkal, the second base camp which is 16 km away from Sabarimala temple
3:42pm IST
Protesters playing dirty politics,govt bound to implement SC order: Kerala minister
I can predict what is going on there, I think it is intentional,it's dirty politics they (protesters) are playing. We can't say if they are actual devotees. Supreme Court's order is Constitutional & govt is bound to implement it: K K Shailaja, Kerala Minister #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/f8V73u57Lm
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
3:40pm IST
Lathi charge continues, protesters’ tents demolished by cops
Protesters pelt stone, lathi charge by police continues; police chase protesters, demolish their tents
3:36pm IST
Cops resort to lathi charge as protests turn violent, many journalists injured
Police resort to lathi charge at Nilakkal as protests turn violent. NDTV correspondent Sneha Mary Koshi and many journalists injured
3:25pm IST
Vehicles damaged in violence at Nilakkal
Violence reported in Nilakkal; many buses and vehicles are said to have been damaged.
3:15pm IST
Rahul Easwar, grandson of Tantri, arrested
Rahul Easwar, grandson of Sabarimala Tantri, who was among those opposing entry of women of menstrual age into Sabarimala, arrested. He is also head of an organisation called Ayyappa Dharma Sena and filed a review petition against the SC verdict on the Sabarimala case.
2:50 pm IST
Protesters attack woman journalist’s car
#Kerala:Protesters block and attack a woman journalist's car in Pathanamthitta #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/7TfRf2YIMi
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
2: 45 PM IST
Armed mobs attack women journalists: Reports
Armed and masked mobs attack women mediapersons who had gone to cover the protests near Kerala’s Sabarimala temple and vandalize their vehicles. Vehicles and reporters from at least four media organisations targeted - in some cases in presence of the police, the journalists say, reports news channel NDTV.
01:14 PM IST
Minister warns against the ‘wrath of Lord Ayyappa’
Minister, E P Jayarajan says agitators will invite “Ayyappa dosham” (the wrath of Lord Ayyappa) for blocking devotees who want to go to Sabarimala after taking vrata (penance), reports PTI.
01:07 PM IST
Devasom board ex-president among 50 people detained
More than 50 people, including former Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan, taken into custody in Nilakkal and Pamba for protesting against entry of women into Sabarimala temple.
01.00 PM IST
Congress protests court order
The Congress leaders hold a peaceful protest in Nilakkal against the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 into SabarimalaTemple.
12:48 PM IST
Temple to be open till October 22
The doors of the temple that open at 5 p.m. today will remain open till October 22. This is the first time the temple would be opening after the Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages to visit the shrine..
11:59 AM IST
40-year-old woman from Andhra sent back by protesters
Protesters force 40-year-old Madhavi and her family from Andhra Pradesh to abandon their trip to the Lord Ayyappa temple. Madhavi, accompanied by her parents and children, began set off for the pilgrimage on the Swami Ayyapan road, but 10 minutes into their trek they had to abandon their plan due to protests.
11:49 AM IST
Police detain protesters in Pamba
Police detain people in Pamba protesting against the entry of women into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple.
10:58 AM IST
Women protest in Nilakkal against the SC order
#WATCH: Women protest in Nilakkal against the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 to #Sabarimala temple. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/GuxDZo0R7G
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
10:42 AM IST
No one will be stopped from going to Sabarimala: Police chief
Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra says no one will be stopped from going to Sabarimala. “There is a very strong police presence in and around Sabarimala,” Behra said
10.10 AM IST
Protests at Pamba base camp
Protests being held near Pamba base camp against the entry of women in the age group 10-50 to SabarimalaTemple
9:41 AM IST
Pilgrims begin arriving at the base camp
Pilgrims begin arriving at Nilakkal, the base camp of SabarimalaTemple as the portals of the temple are all set to open today, first time after the SC order allowing women of all ages to enter the temple
8:59 AM IST
Day of bandhs, protests in Kerala
Sabarimala Samrakshna Samity calls for a 24-hour bandh. BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai to also stage dharna against the Sc verdict allowing women of all ages into Sabarimala temple
08:44 AM IST
Notice barring women from entering Sabarimala removed
Temple removes board saying ‘women in the age group 10-50 are barred’. It was removed last night.
8:29 AM IST
Minister calls review meeting
Devasom minister kadakampally surendran calls review meet at hilltop temple.
