BJP Kerala unit general secretary K Surendran was remanded to 14 days by the magistrate here on Sunday. The Pathanamthitta magistrate denied him bail after the police arrested him on Saturday night for trying to go to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple defying their orders.
Surendran was taken into preventive custody Saturday night and removed from Nilackal, as he tried to leave for the hill shrine, the police said. Surendran, along with two other arrested BJP leaders, was produced before the magistrate Sunday morning.
The three have been remanded. BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai on Saturday said the police action against Surendran has created an "extremely dangerous" situation.
He said he has informed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the "seriousness" of the situation. BJP workers are observing a "protest day" in the state on Sunday, blocking trafc on the highways.
Chanting Ayyappa mantras, BJP activists staged a protest in front of the Chittar police station in Pathanamthitta district where Surendran was detained.
In Thiruvanathapuram, BJP workers took out a march to the Secretariat and blocked traffic protesting the police action against Surendran. Police used water cannons to stop them.
In the meantime on Saturday, normalcy in state was affected due to shutdown over preventive detention of Hindu Aikya Vedi state president K P Sasikala early Saturday. DGP Loknath Behara met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and briefed him about the law and order situation. "Security arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of the devotees so that they can have a smooth darshan, keeping all rituals intact," IGP Vijay Sakhare said.
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On the large presence of police personnel, Pathnamthitta collector P B Nooh said "there are many khaki clad policemen around. That is for the safety and security of devotees." The temple complex and nearby areas had witnessed protests from devotees when it was opened for monthly pujas for eight days in October and early this month against the LDF government's decision to implement the apex court verdict allowing women of all age groups to pray at the shrine.
Social activist Trupti Desai, who arrived at Kochi airport Friday en route to Sabarimala, was forced to return to Maharashtra following over 13-hour protests from devotees. About 500-odd women in the 10-50 age group had booked for darshan through a police online portal. However, police sources were tight-lipped when asked if any women had sought protection to offer prayers.
