Sabarimala row: Widespread protests across Kerala

A 55-year-old man, who was seriously injured in stone throwing at Pandalam, died late Wednesday night.

A dawn-to-dusk Kerala shutdown call, given by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi (SKS) to protest against the visit of two women to the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday, evoked a mixed response in the state on Thursday.
The SKS said the shutdown was intended to oppose the role of the Kerala government which apparently facilitated the entry of the women inside the temple before dawn on Wednesday. There were skirmishes at various places between the organisers of the shutdown and those who tried to resist it.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sangh parivar forces have pledged their support to the SKS shutdown call, and their activists are enforcing it.
While state-owned and private buses are off the road, private vehicles, mostly two wheelers are plying. Private cars are also moving in Thiruvananthapuram and other major cities in Kerala.

Ten people in Kannur were arrested after they attacked vehicles that plied before the BJP office.

Even as the two traders' body in the state had announced that they would open their shops, in several places, shops were yet to open. However, in Kozhikode, traders were determined to open their shops, even as the SKS and BJP activists were protesting. Similarly, in Thevara near Kochi, shops are open.
An incident of stone pelting at an interstate bus from Karnataka was reported from Kozhikode district. Similar incidents have also been reported from Kasargode, Palakkad and certain other places.
Various university examinations scheduled for Thursday have been postponed and all educational institutions in the state are closed.

Meanwhile, the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to see that strong action is taken against those who try to create trouble during the shutdown.
At Pandalam in Alappuzha district, angry BJP and Sangh parivar activists took out a protest march, after one of their supporters who was injured in a stone throwing by CPI-M workers, on Wednesday, died late night.

One CPI-M worker has been arrested and the wife of the deceased said the family does not believe that a fair probe will happen.
Latest updates:

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on #Sabarimala Karma Samiti worker who was injured y'day in clash in Pandalam&later succumbed to his injuries: There was a clash in Pandalam last evening.Chandran Unnithan was injured&was taken to hospital who later died in hospital due to heart attack pic.twitter.com/v9wIfpAazb
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Kerala: Ambulances being used to help stranded passengers at Thiruvananthapuram Central as bus services are affected in the area due to the hartal called by various organisations over #SabarimalaTemple women entry. pic.twitter.com/tURDZgevh5
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Kerala: BJP holds protest march in Kochi against the entry of women in #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/siNVGooagB
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Supreme Court refuses to give an urgent hearing to a mentioning by lawyer, PV Dinesh, seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the #SabarimalaTemple priest for purification of temple premises after entry of 2 women yesterday. SC said the matter has been fixed for Jan 22 pic.twitter.com/HcEZGX7xKZ
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

PGS Varma,member of royal Pandalam family,on #Sabarimala women entry issue:Kerala govt is taking measures everyday to send someone there to disturb its rituals. It's festival time when per day 1-2 lakh ppl used to come to temple but due to govt action, it has reduced to 10-15,000 pic.twitter.com/BQy2oo3dSs
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Congress MP K Suresh on #Sabarimala women entry issue: We're observing 'black day' in Kerala today. State govt is challenging the sentiments of devotees of #Sabarimala. With the sponsor of state govt, these two young women entered the temple. They are activists, they are maoists pic.twitter.com/jBtMp9wIBt
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

#Kerala: Sabarimala Karma Samiti and BJP workers hold protest march in Pandalam over the issue of entry of women in #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/cKmwlrtGCf
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in Trivandrum on #SabarimalaTemple women entry issue: 7 police vehicles, 79 KSRTC buses destroyed & 39 police personnel attacked, till now. Most of the persons attacked were women. Women media persons were also attacked. pic.twitter.com/neg2ajLfiG
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Kerala: Security deployed in Pathanamthitta in the view of hartal called by various organisations over #SabarimalaTemple women entry pic.twitter.com/Hse169zZLs
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Air India: Protests at several locations in Kerala may affect passengers travelling from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode. Passengers are requested to schedule their travel plans to/from airports accordingly pic.twitter.com/SGamgGHWEK
- ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2019

KSRTC PRO: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has stopped its bus operations to Kerala for the day in view of the hartal called by various organisations over #SabarimalaTemple women entry.
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Kerala: United Democratic Front to observe 'black day' in the state in connection with Sabarimala Temple women entry issue; Visuals from Thiruvananthapuram pic.twitter.com/YOfcRVKNge
- ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

Two women, Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42), created history be stepping into the hallowed precincts guarded by police three months after the Supreme Court's historic judgement lifting the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age by stepping into the shrine.
As the news spread like wildfire from the hill shrine, protests erupted at several places, with Hindu right-wing activists blocking highways and forcing closure of shops and markets.
BJP and CPI(M) workers clashed in front of the Secretariat for over five hours Wednesday as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.
Merchants' organisations have said they would not cooperate with the strike and keep shops and business establishments open.

Meanwhile, state DGP Loknath Behara has warned of strict action against those indulging in violence during the strike.

• India