Hartal in Kerala, Police Raj in Sabarimala; devotees being terrorized
Huge protest erupted in Kerala after Hindu Aikya Vedi chief Sasikala Teacher was arrested while she was on her way to Sabarimala on Friday evening. Hindu organisations, supported by BJP, announced a one-day hartal across the state.
Meanwhile, the police imposed several restrictions in Sabarimala which led to protests by devotees. “I am not allowed to perform abhishekam. They are asking me go out: I cannot have water. They simply want to say ‘you don’t come here’. They are out to destroy Sabarimala,” says Muruga Swami, who came with 40 devotees from Coimbatore.
Rajesh Kumar, another devotee who came with his two kids, said, “They (LDF) came to power promising to set right everything. Is this the way they are setting right everything? The police are terrorizing us. We don’t have any facilities here. They (police) are not allowing us to even drink water.”
Sasikala Teacher who was taken to Ranni is staging a hunger strike inside the police station. She said she will call off hunger strike only after she is allowed to enter Sabarimala. “They provide massive security to Muslim activists like Rehana Fathima and other converted Christians. But they are preventing Sasikala Teacher who is a devotee and visiting the temple with irumudi after observing fast,” said Rajalekshmi of Konni.
Meanwhile, Janam TV crew was attacked by police when they tried to take statement of Sasikala Teacher. State BJP president PS Sreedharan Pillai said there was Jungle Raj in Kerala. The state government is denying fundamental rights of the citizen. “The government is trying to destroy Sabarimala. We condemn in the strongest possible words the arrest of Sasikala Teacher.”
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