Sabarimala LIVE: 266 People Arrested, 99 State Buses Vandalised in Dawn-to-Dusk Hartal Related Violence

Another Round of Violence in Kerala | Incidents of violence erupted on Thursday evening during a CPI(M)-led march to the BJP office in Palakkad. The police had to use teargas to disperse the crowd causing damage.

DUJ Condemns Attacks on Journos in Kerala |  The Delhi Union of Journalists have condemned the widespread attacks against journalists by the right wing elements in Kerala. The media has been a target of attacks during the violent protests on Sabarimala issue. On Wednesday, a woman video journalist was brutally assaulted in Thiruvananthapuram and on Thursday attacks against journalists were reported from various districts in the state.  The DUJ has called upon the Kerala government to take stringent measures against the perpetrators of violence. It further expresses solidarity with the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), who are mainly facing the attacks along with some others.

60 Arrested in Tamil Nadu | Sixty workers of a Tamil Nadu-based fringe Hindu outfit were arrested for trying to stage a 'rail-roko' on Thursday in protest against the entry of two women of menstruating age group into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, police said. The Hindu Makkal Katchi activists were prevented from staging the protest at a railway station in Coimbatore, the police said. Fifteen members of the Bharatiya Janata Party lawyers' wing here burnt a portrait of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. They raised slogans against him for failing to maintain the shrine's "sanctity".

'Purification of Sabarimala Temple After Women's Entry Demeaning' | The All India Democratic Women's Association has expressed strong objection to the purification rituals carried out by the priests after two women of menstruating age visited the Sabarimala temple, calling it "demeaning" as it projects women as "impure" and "unclean". "The purification ritual is demeaning to women as it projects them as 'impure' and 'unclean'. It is also a clear violation of the Supreme Court verdict," AIDWA said in a statement.

266 Arrested, Investigation on |  So far, 266 people have been arrested and 334 people have been taken into preventive detention for the various hartal related violence. A Special squad will be formed by the district police chiefs to investigate into the matter. The Special Squad will conduct an inquiry and hand over the list of the accused to the district police chief. The mobile phones of the suspects will be confiscated and digital examination will be done. A search operation will also be conducted to check to check for weapons

Kerala in Turmoil | The dawn-to-dusk shutdown called by Sabarimala Karma Samithi, an umbrella organisation of various pro-Hindutva groups, and the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), plunged the state into turmoil, as hundreds of Hindu right-wing activists disrupted vehicular movement, and vandalised shops and offices of the ruling CPI(M).

Symbolic Procession of Damaged Buses | A symbolic procession of the damaged buses in Thiruvananthapuram will begin shortly after a press briefing by the CMD on the destruction caused by the hartal at 4:30 pm. Kerala was in ferment on Thursday, a day after two women of menstruating age entered the Sabarimala temple, infuriating saffron outfits, with protesters blocking roads by placing burning tyres and granite blocks, and clashes leaving three BJP workers injured in a knife attack.

Shajila Abdulrahman, a cameraperson at Kairali Television, became an unlikely social media icon after Kerala’s Mathrubhumi newspaper published a photo of her continuing to shoot a Sangh Parivar protest in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday even after she was badly beaten up by the participants.

2 Youth Congress workers injured after vehicle in CM's cavalcade hits them. Youth Congress workers had tried to show black flag to CM when the accident happened.

As protests against women's entry to the Sabarimala Temple continue to jolt Kerala, three protestors were left injured in Thrissur after clashes erupted between BJP and SDPI workers. Several journalits and mediapersons have also been attacked by mob protestors. 

Accusing the BJP of giving mileage to violence and hatred in the state for political gains, Vijayan says, “This is the BJP’s  fifth hartaal on the issue. Meanwhile the Sangh parivaar held seven hartals in the past three months. Ideally, hartal of such measures is the last resort. But in the name of accident, death and suicide, the BJP continues its hartal politics. This is against the Supreme Court order on the ban of women to Sabarimala temple.”

"The two women who had gone for darsan at sabarimala could not do it in the first attempt. So they approached the police for protection. Bound by SC’s order, the police then extended its protection to the women. These women undertook the same route as the rest of the devotees, without the use of a helicopter,” Vijayan says. Continuing his address, he adds that the women were helped by other devotees on the way and nobody tried to obstruct their journey. “Nothing happened for a few hours, but, when the news spread all hell broke loose,” he says. Accusing the RSS, BJP of politicizing the issue, the Kerala CM then says, “There were no natural protests by the devotes in the state, but those who wanted to reap benefits from this development, gave meaning to protests and orchestrated violence.This is a planned protest of the Sangh Parivaar.” Condemning the act as a “political conspiracy of the right-wing leaders, Vijayan says that strict action will be taken against this.

Kerala CM Penarayi Vijayan has accused RSS, BJP of turning Kerala into a war zone as protests continue to rage against the entry of women in Sabarimala temple. 

Jet Airways issues a notice to warn its passengers of possible transportation issues in face of the ongoing protests in Kerala. Air India, too has issued an advisory, asking passengers travelling to various parts of Kerala to schedule their travel programs in lieu of the protests. "Protests at several locations in Kerala may affect passengers travelling from #Kochi, #Thiruvananthapuram, #Kozhikode. Passengers are requested to schedule their travel plans to/from airports accordingly," the airline tweeted. 

#9Wupdate #Kerala pic.twitter.com/bjLyQFYxzR

— Jet Airways (@jetairways) January 2, 2019

RSS saha prantha karyavahak M Radhakrishnan said that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is open to reform as long as it was done by the right stakeholders.

In face of shutdown, several universities like the Kerala university, Calicut University. and Kannur University have postponed their examinations scheduled for the day. 

Homes of five CPM party leaders in Kerala have been attacked and ransacked. The party leaders suspect right-wing protestors from RSS to be behind the attacks. In many places, the Karnataka State Road Corporation (KSRTC) had to stop its bus operations as bandhs and hartals continue to disable normal life. A Kerala bus was also vandalised in Thrissur. ​ 8 local BJP leaders have been reportedly taken into preventive custody after fresh cases of stone pelting and violence were reported. These leaders were at panamaram in Wayanad where they were trying to forcefully shut shops  

Journalists Reporting on Sabarimala Attacked by BJP Protesters | As the news of the women entering the temple spread on Wednesday, protests erupted with right-wing activists blocking highways and forcing closure of shops and markets. Media personnel, reporting from outside the state secretariat, were allegedly attacked by BJP and Yuva Morcha activists. Among the journalists attacked were Asianet reporter Prakula, Deccan Chronicle photojournalist Peethambaran Payyeri, Mathrubhumi video-journalist Biju. Camera and equipment of channels like Mathrubhumi and Media One were also damaged. The Kerala Union of Working Journalists' flayed the attack on the media personnel and sought stern action.

BJP's Amit Malviya Reacts to Devotee's Death | BJP's National Information Techonology chief Amit Malviya launched a scathing attack on the Penarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government, after a devotee who was participating in protests against women's entry to Sabarimala was killed. " 54 year old Chandran Unnithan, who suffered a head injury, because of a stone hurled from an area near CPM area committee office in Pandalam is no more. He was protesting defiling of Sabarimala shrine by the Communists," he Tweets. Holding the CM responsible for his death, Malviya writes, "You killed an Ayyappa devotee, Pinarayi Vijayan." 

Heavy police security has been deployed across Kerala against the backdrop of multiple protests and strikes evoked by various outfits and the people of the state against women's entry in Sabarimala temple. Fresh protests have erupted since Wednesday, after two women of menstrual age undertook the Sabarimala Temple pilgrimage and entered Lord Ayappa's shrine to do darshan. 

Kerala: Security deployed in Pathanamthitta in the view of hartal called by various organisations over #SabarimalaTemple women entry pic.twitter.com/Hse169zZLs

— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

This is the the seventh shutdown called by right-wing groups in just three months over the Sabarimala issue. Traders' organisations have said they will not cooperate with the shutdown and sought police protection to open their establishments. On December 20, over 35 trade organisations in Kerala had come together to announce that 2019 will be 'anti-hartal year'.

The Pandalam police has reportedly taken two CPM workers into custody in relation to the death of a Ayappa devotee who succumbed to his injuries in a stone pelting incident. Chandran Unnithan, 54, who was injured in stone pelting at Panthalam in the morning, passed away at Believers church hospital Thiruvalla at around 11 pm.  He was participating in a protest march by Sabarimala Karma samithy against the entry of two women at Sabarimala.

Protests In Hyderabad | United Democratic Front to observing 'black day' in the state in connection with the issue of women's entry in the Sabarimala Temple. The Hindus in Hyderabad too, are protesting against the Kerala government and against the disruption of the centuries old traditions associated with Lord Ayappa of Sabarimala Temple. A great protest is planned for Thursday, which starts from the Kamalanagar Ayyappa Temple in Hyderabad. 

In response to two women entering the shrine early Wednesday, protests broke out around Kerala.Kerala DGP Loknath Behera on Wednesday said strict action will be taken against those flouting rules of law and order during the bandh called for by some organisations over the entry of two women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple.  Furthermore, Behera directed all concerned authorities to give special attention to pilgrims so that they remain unaffected

Kerala Government Run Hotel Vandalised by Protestors in Tamil Nadu | A Kerala government-run hotel here was attacked on Wednesday night by unidentified persons in suspected backlash over two women of menstruating age entering the Sabarimala temple in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.  The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation-run facility on the arterial Greams Road was attacked tonight, a police official told the news agency PTI, adding a probe was on. According to initial inputs, the outer glass panes in the hotel, including those at a security kiosk, were damaged in the attack, he said. "As soon as we got a call, the local strength (of personnel under Thousand Lights jurisdiction) was rushed there," the official said.  Though the attack was suspected to be a fallout of two women entering the Sabarimala temple in neighbouring Kerala, the official said since the probe was at a "very preliminary stage" nothing could be confirmed as of now.

Purification Ritual Performed After Two Women Enter Sabarimala Temple | Reacting to the development, Pandalam erstwhile royal Shashi Verma said that the women's entry into Sannidhanam was not historic, but against the customs of Sabarimala. "Customs of the temple should be maintained. We are not in the favour of changing rituals, he said, adding that the temple will have to be "purified"  Soon after Verma's statement, the shrine doors were shut for pilgrims and priests began conducting "shuddhi kalasham" (purification ritual)

The women — Bindu (42), a CPI(ML) activist from Koyilandy in Kozhikode district, and Kanakadurga (44), a civil supplies employee from Angadipuram in Malappuram — said that they began climbing the steps to Lord Ayyappa shrine around midnight and reached the temple at 3:45 am for darshan.Kanakadurga told CNN-News18 that they arrived at Pamba around midnight and proceeded without police protection. "We reached Sannidhanam and climbed the sacred stairs. We did not face any protests from any quarters. Devotees were present there but they did not block our way or questioned us," she said.

Man Protesting Women's Entry to Sabarimala Dies | The historic entry of two women devotees at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala on Wednesday was marred by the death of a man protesting their entry and the temple shutting down for "purification" ritual post their entry. Chandran Unnithan, 54, who was injured in stone pelting at Panthalam in the morning, passed away at Believers church hospital Thiruvalla at around 11 pm.  He was participating in a protest march by Sabarimala Karma samithy against the entry of two women at Sabarimala. Samithy has accused the CPM to be behind the attack as, they allege, the stones came from an area near the CPM area committee office in Pandalam Mavelikkara rout

Massive Protests Grip Kerala, BJP Announces Hartal | Widespread violence broke across Kerala as a shutdown began today, a day after two women in their 40s, became the first female pilgrims of menstruating age to have performed darshan at the Sabarimala Temple after the Supreme Court overturned a traditional ban on women's entry last year. The BJP had called for a two-day protest against the women’s entry in the Sabarimala temple under police protection. On Wednesday, angry protestors blocked roads in many parts of the state. Police crackdown on protestors was heavy in Kasargode, Palakkad, Kollam and many other places. A group of women jumped a barricade and came close to the CM’s office in the state capital, but were eventually overpowered. Many government buses and vehicles were pelted with stones.