The State police on Friday said they anticipated traffic disruptions across the city when the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) ‘Save Sabarimala March’ reached the capital on Monday.
The BJP and its allies were protesting against the State government’s decision to not appeal against the Supreme Court order validating the right of women of all ages to worship at Sabarimala.
Several NDA allies, including the BDJS, are participating in the march.
The first of the protesters are likely to trickle in from Sunday afternoon. The numbers were expected to increase significantly by evening with local BJP supporters joining the first of the ‘long marchers.’
Several organisations, including the NSS, have planned “prayer marches” on Sunday evening to coincide with the ‘Save Sabarimala March.’
The police said demonstrators, which included a significant number of women, were likely to bivouac on the road in front of the Secretariat. On Monday morning, the vanguard of the march would enter the city. The BJP has mobilised its cadres in Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram districts to welcome the marchers. They are expected to congregate in strength in front of the Secretariat on Monday morning.
It has also put in a slew of measures to regulate traffic. The police said they anticipated scores of vehicles carrying the protesters to arrive in the city from Sunday evening.
An officer said the police would deploy riot-police, tear-gas squads, fire engines and water cannons at the venue.
The traffic regulations would be along the Kazhakuttom-Sreekariyam-Ulloor-Pattom-VJT Hall-Secretariat stretch.