With the Lord Ayyappa temple opening for a day on Monday for a special puja, a thick cover of over 2,000 personnel has been put in place after violent protests were witnessed last month by devotees preventing entry of women of all ages into the hill-top shrine despite the ruling by the Supreme Court.
Apart from the deployment of 2,300 police personnel, including a 20-member commando team and 100 women, Section 144 – banning assembly of four or more people – has been imposed in Sabarimala and nearby areas of Pamba, Nilackal, Elavungal, and Sannidhanam for 72 hours from midnight Saturday.
The Kerala government’s move to turn the hill temple into a fortress with such heavy security cover to ensure smooth ‘darshan’ and security of devotees invited sharp criticism from the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, the BJP, and the Congress.
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