On a day when sporadic incidents of violence were reported from across the state in the wake of hartal called in protest against entry of women in the Lord Ayyappa temple, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the Sangh Parivar was conspiring to turn Sabarimala into a clash zone. "It's government's responsibility to give protection to women. The government has fulfilled this constitutional responsibility. Sangh Parivar is trying to make Sabarimala into a clash zone," said Vijayan addressing a press conference on Thursday.
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The chief minister also confirmed that the Kerala police offered necessary protection to the two women to successfully conduct the trek to Sabarimala on Wednesday. Vijayan also lashed out against Sabarimala head priest who briefly shut the temple on Wednesday to conduct 'cleansing rituals' in the wake of the women's visit to Sabarimala. "If the tantri (head priest) does not want to implement the Supreme Court order on women's entry, he can opt to leave. It is for the Devaswom Board to decide on whether the temple should be kept open or closed," Pinarayi Vijayan stated on Thursday.
CM Vijayan's presser comes amid a state-wide hartal in Kerala called by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti and supported by the BJP to protest against women entry in the hilltop shrine. Stray incidents of violence were reported from across Kerala as protesters took to the streets on Thursday. "Seven police vehicles and 79 KSRTC buses were destroyed, while 39 police personnel were attacked, till now. Most of the persons attacked were women. Women media persons were also attacked," said Vijayan.
