Sabarimala: Kerala Communist Government Arrests 5,769 Devotees, 1,869 Cases Registered; Eerie Peace Prevails On Sunday
After the communist government in Kerala arrests 5,769 devotees and 1,869 cases being registered, eerie peace prevailed in state on Sunday after four days of violent protests.
The state had stumbled into turmoil after two women below 50 years of age, sneaked into the Lord Ayyappa’s shrine on 2 January, with the support of ruling communist government. with both BJP-RSS and ruling CPI(M) workers accusing each other of aggravating the situation.
Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan has refused to take any responsibility, blaming BJP-RSS and Sangh Parivar for the violence.
"There is no violence other than the ones created by the RSS, BJP and the Sangh Parivar. And now they are threatening the state with constitutional consequences," Vijayan said in a Facebook post, and asked the BJP national leadership to instruct its cadre in Kerala to stop creating violence in the state.
The state has come under criticism for scuttling political dissent by arresting workers of opposition political parties. Union minister Smriti Irani ha said that the CPI(M)-led LDF government has been arresting BJP workers for raising their voice against the state. The chief minister's post came on a day after her allegations.
In Pathnamthitta district, where the Sabarimala temple is located, 267 cases have been registered and 677 people arrested so far, while in Palakkad, 283 cases have been registered so far and 764 persons arrested.
In Kannur district, where crude bombs were thrown at the house of Thalassery MLA AM Shamseer and BJP leader and MP V Muraleedharan, 225 cases have been booked and 394 arrested so far.
BJP national spokesperson, GVL Narasimha Rao, had warned the CPI(M)-led Kerala government saying it would have to face ‘constitutional consequences’ for its continued high-handed response. PInarayi Vijayan has stated that they would not be cowed down by threats of "constitutional consequences" for Sabarimala violence.