Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], Oct 19 (ANI): A day after protests and violence against the entry of women of menstruating age at the Sabarimala temple was witnessed, devotees visiting the shrine reiterated that the sanctity of the temple and Lord Ayyappa "must be preserved at any cost".

One of the male devotees told ANI, "Lord Ayyappa is a 'Nithya Brahmachari', this must be preserved at any cost. Sanctity of the temple should be preserved."

Meanwhile, another devotee, Ganesh Kumar, said that while coming to the temple, villagers thoroughly checked vehicles for women of 10-50 age group. "I took Kambamedu route to Sabarimala Temple, locals at every village were checking vehicles for women. Police didn't intervene as locals checked the vehicles," he said.

Calling the attack on women journalists near the holy shrine "unfortunate", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala president PS Sreedharan Pillai has accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of orchestrating the violence.

"That is unfortunate; it was part of the plan designed by the CPI (M) people. They did this. 300 police personnel, who had not completed their training, were taken there and this scene was created," he said.

Places around the temple such as Pamba, Nilakkal, Sannidhanam, and Elavungal have witnessed the majority of the violent protests since the doors of the shrine reopened on Wednesday.

Protestors allegedly vandalised a bus carrying journalists and other passengers at Laka near the Nilakkal base camp. The police were forced to lathi-charge the protestors as they resorted to stone pelting.

Elderly women were seen entering the Lord Ayyappa temple on Wednesday evening, but women between 10 to 50 years of age refrained from visiting the shrine for the sake of their own safety.

Owing to the protests and violence, Section 144 (prohibiting assembly of more than four people) has been imposed in Pamba, Nilakkal, and Elavungal. (ANI)

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