Palakkad: Six people – natives of Tirupur, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli – on their way to visit the Vavar mosque near the Sabarimala temple were arrested on Tuesday. According to police sources, the group has been held on charges of trying to create hostility between religious groups and intention to trespass.
The six, including three women, are said to be members of Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK). They were arrested at Kozhinjampara when they were en route to the famous Erumeli Nainar Juma Masjid, which is also known as Vavar Palli.
The fringe outfit had earlier staged protests over the issue of entry of women (of menstrual age) into the Sabarimala temple. The outfit had reportedly announced it would send women to the mosque.
The Mahallu Committee, controlling the mosque, said in a statement that there was no bar or restriction on women devotees from visiting the Mosque. Women going to Sabarimala had been visiting the mosque even before the Supreme Court verdict.
According to the police, two of the women are from Tirupur while the other from Tirunelveli and the men from Tirupur and Coimbatore. Cases had been registered against them for various Indian Penal Code offences, including attempt to promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, criminal trespass, unlawful assembly and rioting.
Kerala police are on high alert as the State had witnessed largescale violence after the entry of two women, Bindu and Kanakadurga, into the Ayyappa temple on 2 January.