Three female journalists—one each from The News Minute, News18 and Republic TV—who were en route Sabarimala for news coverage, were on Wednesday attacked by protesting devotees at Pamba and Nilakkal in Pathanamthitta in Kerala.
Republic TV's South Bureau Chief Pooja Prasanna was attacked by some 100 protesters who smashed her car and prevented her from proceeding further. Similar was the attack on Radhika Ramaswamy, the reporter from News18.
In a separate incident, The News Minute's Saritha S. Balan, who was on a KSRTC bus along with her colleague, was asked to get down from the bus following "inspection" by Karma Samithi. The police then intervened and shifted the two female journalists to a nearby police station. Balan was attacked from behind and hurled with abuses even as police escorted them to the police station.
Balan was intimidated by the mob who physically attacked and verbally abused her. "As the police tried to give a protective ring to Saritha to get her out of the bus, the mob physically attacked her, and one of them, in fact, kicked her on her spine. A woman also tried to throw a water bottle at Saritha," said a TNM report.
"I have no intention of entering the temple, I am only here to cover the protests. This should have been clear from my attire—I'm wearing jeans and a kurta. Then how can they claim I was trying to enter the temple in the guise of a devotee?" TNM quoted Saritha as asking. "If they did not want reporters to cover the protest, why did the BJP invite the media for coverage?" she asked.
Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief of The News Minute in a Facebook live, lashed out against activist Rahul Easwar, Sabarimala devotees and the Kerala police for not allowing her colleagues to carry out their duties in a safe environment.
Just a couple of hours before the attack on TNM reporters, Republic TV's Prasanna and her crew were attacked by an angry mob, who smashed her car and stole equipment, including her iPad.
Dramatic scenes unfolded at Pamba, Nilakkal base camp and Sabarimala temple premises in the morning as two young women from Andhra Pradesh began their long trek to the Lord Ayyappa temple. Protesters chanted Ayyappa slogans and tried to prevent them from proceeding further, even as they were escorted by police. However, the women abandoned their pilgrimage fearing attack from the angry mob.
Meanwhile, down at the Nilakkal base camp and Pamba, protesting members of the Pandalam royal family, Tantri family and other devotees were detained and shifted from the site by the Kerala police. Leaders from the Congress and the BJP are also staging their protests in Sabarimala against the Supreme Court verdict.