Complaint filed against Trupti Desai and six other women for hurting religious beliefs of Sabarimala devotees

As Sabarimala Temple opened Friday evening for a two-month long pilgrimage season amid tight security, activist Trupti Desai said that she has been asked by the state police to return to Pune.Protests have been on at Cochin airport since today morning following Desai’s arrival in the state in an attempt to trek the hills and pray at the shrine on Saturday.

A complaint has been filed against activist Trupti Desai and six other women of the Bhumata Brigade for ‘hurting’ the religious beliefs of Sabarimala devotees. Submitted by the State President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Prakash Babu to the Nedumbassery Station House Officer, the complaint states the Trupti’s visit is a deliberate attempt to challenge the sentiments of a particular religious section.

According to the complaint filed against Trupti, it states that none of the group’s members have worn black or are carrying the irumudikettu — the traditional attire of Sabarimala pilgrims.

“Today, on November 16, since 4.30 am, a woman named Trupti Desai and under her leadership, six other women arrived at Nedumbaserry airport, demanding a darshan at Sabarimala. They have arrived without wearing black or carrying the irumudikettu, which is required per customs of Hindu religion and the Sabarimala temple. They have conspired and arrived at the Nedumbassery airport to challenge and hurt our traditional and faith. Theirs is an attempt to incite communal violence by targeting and hurting the beliefs and traditions of a specific section of the society,” the complaint read.

“Their actions are punishable under IPC sections 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs) and 153 A (promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise). Hence, we request you to take appropriate action against Trupti Desai and her team to confrontation,” according to the complaint.