After the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held huge protests outside Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's official residence at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Union Minister Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam is at Sabarimala today.
Earlier Kannanthanam had planned to visit the flooded Pamba base-camp, but he had rescheduled to go to the Sabarimala shrine at the hilltop.
Kannanthanam plans to study and review the facilities and necessary requirements for the pilgrims who visit the temple. His visit to the shrine comes in the middle of on-going protests against the detention of more than 30 people at the Sabarimala Temple.
Travancore Devaswom Board lacks necessary infrastructure to implement SC verdictTravancore Devaswom Board lacks the necessary infrastructure to execute the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to visit Sabarimala, says the petition filed by the Sabarimala temple body. The petition is seeking more time to implement the verdict referring to violence and protests in Sabarimala since the SC verdict on September 28.
Alphons visit would encourage the protestors, says Kodiyeri Balakrishnan"Union Minister Alphons should not have visited Sabarimala when there is a law and order situation there," said Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPI (M) state secretary. His visit would only encourage the troublemakers, he added.
Kerala HC passes strictures against state governments move on controlling devoteesThe Kerala High Court (HC) has issued serious restrictions against the state government on questioning its move to control the Ayyappa devotees and the use of police force. "How can the police do such high-handedness in the name of Supreme Court verdict?" the court asked.
The court has asked the Advocate General (AG) to appear before the HC and give an explanation of the midnight protests and riots that took place at Sabarimala on Sunday.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala hits out at Kerala CMSenior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala hits out at CM Pinarayi Vijayan over last nights police actions against the devotees who came to Sabarimala. He said that the ruling LDF government was trying to label the devotees as Sangh Parivar activists.
Ramesh asked if Kerala was under the rule of Hitler. "Arresting real devotees, who climb the hills to offer prayers, could not be accepted," he added.
Sabarimala is a place of worship, not of political drama, Shashi TharoorShashi Tharoor tweeted about his concern over the pilgrims in Sabarimala. His tweet said, While media focuses on BJP's vandalism & Govt's strong-arm tactics in Sabarimala, genuine pilgrims are suffering an atrocious lack of amenities, few clean facilities, inadequate toilet arrangements & multiple restrictions. Sabarimala is a place of worship, not of political drama.
While media focuses on BJP's vandalism & Govt's strong-arm tactics in #Sabarimala, genuine pilgrims are suffering an atrocious lack of amenities, few clean facilities, inadequate toilet arrangements &multiple restrictions. Sabarimala is a place of worship, not of political drama.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2018
Two Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers were arrested by the police for waving black flags at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
RSS is trying to foul the atmosphere in Sabarimala, Vijayan said on Sunday night protests held by BJP and RSS.
Case filed against the protestorsKerala State Police have filed cases against 200 people for holding protests and riots creating an obstruction to the police duty yesterday. Nearly a hundred devotees held protests while chanting "nama japam".
Sabarimala Karma Samiti holds meeting with the GovernorSabarimala Karma Samiti, an umbrella organization of many Hindu organizations, met Governor P Sathasivam, asking him to intervene in the Sabarimala issue to ensure the safe passage of the pilgrims and peaceful environment at the temple.
Sasikala gets permission to go to SannidhanamKP Sasikala, senior BJP leader and president of the Hindu Aikya Vedi, was allowed to go to Sannidhanam after she was arrested by the police while moving towards the shrine in Sabarimala on Friday after the temple was opened for the third time in a month.
Sasikala got bail after she was produced in a local court. She was allowed to go in after the police were assured that she will return after 1 pm and will not speak in any provocative manner nor organize people for protests.
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha calls for a state-wide protest todayA state-wide protest has been called today by the youth wing of BJP, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), against the judicial custody of K Surendran, BJP, Kerala unit general secretary and other right-wing leaders.
BJP had similarly observed a protest on Sunday by blocking the highways across the state
The protests were to create a communal violence, says Kadakampally SurendranIt was all a well-planned protest held at Sabarimala and Chief Minister's official residence at Thiruvananthapuram, says Surendran. All of this drama was done to create a communal violence, he told the media.
KJ Alphons addresses reporters ahead of Sabarimala visitUnion Minister KJ Alphons after visiting Pamba base camp told the media that, even the basic facilities provided in there are not complete and many of the toilets are not clean and unhealthy. "Some of the toilets are built 5 feet high, how are people suppose to go in there," asked the minister.
He compared the state governments action towards the Sabarimala issues with that of Stalin's rule. This is not the way a government should function, not by declaring war against its people," KJ Alphons told the media.
"A situation worse than the emergency is happening here, the devotees are not allowed to go up. Section 144 is imposed here for no reason. Devotees are not terrorists, why do they need 15,000 policemen here", asked the minister.
