Kerala Sabarimala hartal : Two held for BJP worker’s death, Kozhikode witnesses most violence

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – A day after two women – Bindu and Kanakadurga – entered Sabarimala, several pro-Hindutva outfits under the umbrella Sabarimala Action Council have called for a statewide shutdown on Thursday. The outfit backed by RSS opposes the Supreme Court verdict that lifted the ban on women of all ages in the temple. The Bhartiya Janata Party extended its support to the hartal, while the state Congress also joined the protests and announced that it would observe Thursday as a “black day”.

Violent protests erupted in Kerala after the women managed to enter the temple. As much as the move was celebrated by women activists, it also invited protests across the state, resulting in the death of a BJP worker yesterday. The temple was also shortly closed for “purification” rituals. By Wednesday afternoon, shops were forced to shut and traffic was blocked in other parts of the state. Several buses were damaged and mediapersons were also attacked.