Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Sunday quoted a report which quoted police sources as saying that at least 10 women below 50 have visited Sabarimala temple since January 1.
Amid controversy over entry of two women under 50 entering the Sabarimala temple, a Kerala minister on Sunday claimed that there were at least 10 women who have entered the hill shrine in the new year.
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Sunday cited a report which quoted police sources as saying that at least 10 women below 50 have visited Sabarimala temple since January 1.
According to a report in the Times of India, Kerala police shot a video of three Malaysian women of Tamil origin at Sabarimala on January 1, a day before Bindu Ammini and Kanakadurga prayed at the temple.
Besides these two groups of devotees, at least four more women below 50 have visited the temple, taking the total number to 10. Two women, Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42), entered the shrine and offered prayers on Wednesday. The entry of two women on Wednesday was hailed as the first time since the Supreme Court in September last year lifted the age-linked ban on the entry of women devotees.
The incident has triggered massive protests with widespread violence in Kerala.
The report said that around 4,200 women below the age of 50 had booked online for darshan after the Supreme Court verdict lifting ban on entry of women of menstruating age.
Violence involving BJP-RSS and ruling CPI(M) rocked parts of Kerala, particularly Kannur district, Saturday with several houses and shops of rival leaders and workers being attacked.
Amid incidents of vandalism, Governor P Sathasivam briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the law and order situation in the southern state.
Besides Kannur, Perambra in neighbouring Kozhikode, Malappuram and Adoor in Pathanamthitta, where the Ayyappa shrine is located, also witnessed a series of similar attacks and vandalism Friday night and in the early hours Saturday.
Bombs were hurled at several places, including at the houses of CPI(M) MLA A N Shamseer in Madapeedikayil, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member V Muraleedharan at Vadiyil Peedikia and former Kannur district secretary of CPI(M) P Sasi at Thalassery in Kannur district past midnight, police said.
No one was injured in the attacks.
(With PTI inputs)
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