Thiruvananthapuram: Continuing its crackdown on protesters who took part in the Sabarimala agitation, police have so far arrested over 3,000 persons across Kerala.
DGP Loknath Behera Monday said in a statement that 3,505 people have been arrested in 529 cases registered in connection with the violence and demonstration against implementation of the Supreme Court verdict: allowing women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple.
Condemning the police action on Ayyappa devotees, BJP in Kerala has said it would observe a day long fast in front of the DGP office here tomorrow.
Party President P S Sreedharan Pillai, who will lead the strike, said in a statement that the agitation was against the CPI-M led LDF government’s attempt to arrest ‘devotees’ by registering false cases on them.
The saffron party has extended full support to the agitation of devotees and planned to organise a ‘Rath Yatra‘ to save the customs and traditions of the Sabarimala temple.
The yatra would commence from Kasaragod on 8 November and end in Pathanamthitta on 13 November, party sources said.
The hill temple had witnessed high drama recently with around a dozen women in the 10-50 age group being prevented by protesting devotees from entering it after the doors were opened for all women following the apex court verdict.