As the police detained 68 protesters from Sabarimala Temple complex in the early hours, Union Minister K J Alphons slammed the Kerala government for turning the place into a “war zone”.

Protests are being held across Kerala against the detention of the 68 persons even as the BJP demanded a judicial probe into the police action.

The sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Ayyappa Temple opened on Monday morning with very few devotees turning up early.

Police sources said the arrested persons had been taken into preventive custody from the temple complex and brought to the Manniyar camp in the morning. Their details are being verified and their arrests have not been recorded yet.

Alphons, who arrived at Nilackal, the base camp, said, “ The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims. What was the need to declare Section 144 at Sabarimala?”

The minister also said that the temple complex lacked basic facilities. “The union government had provided Rs 100 crore for putting up various facilities at Sabarimala,” he added.

Alphons’ visit comes hours after the late night developments in Sabarimala when over hundred devotees held protests while chanting in the name of Lord Ayyappa (nama japam) on Sunday.

The protests were held at the ‘Sannidhanam,’ on the second day of the two-month long pilgrim season. The arrests were the first of such incidents witnessed at Sabarimala.

This had also led to protests across the state, including in front of the official residence of the state’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.

BJP leaders led by Shobha Surendran are holding a “nama japam” protest in front of the camp.

Hindu Aikya Vedi President, K P Sasikala, who is on her way to the shrine with her family members in connection with the “chorunnu ceremony” (rice feeding) of her grandsons, was served a notice by the Superintendent of Police (SP) Yatish Chandra at Nilackal this morning. The authorities had asked her not to remain at the ‘sannidhanam’ beyond six hours.

Sasikala was served a notice by the police personnel, who had stopped the KSRTC bus in which she and her family were travelling.

Chandra said that Sasikala promised to return and assured them that she was not going to cause any trouble at the temple.

“Our aim is not to trouble anyone. We do not want the devotees to be stationed at the ‘Sannidhanam’. Instead they should return to the place of worship whenever they want. This will enable devotees to worship peacefully,” the officer said.

Sasikala was taken into preventive custody from a spot near the temple premises two days ago for flouting police regulations and had been released after being produced before the Magistrate.

Describing the arrests as “cruel”, BJP state unit President, P S Sreedharan Pillai, said the party wants a judicial probe into it.

The pilgrims were protesting peacefully at the ‘Sannidhanam’ against the lack of facilities and stringent restrictions imposed by the police at the temple complex.

Devotees chanting ‘nama japam’ had gathered at the covered pathway to the temple and had refused to disperse even after the shrine closed at 11 pm.

Since prohibitory orders had been imposed, the police informed them that they must leave and cannot stay back.

Police sources said they had been alerted about the possibilities of the protesters creating trouble at the ‘Sannidhanam’ and had take precautionary measures.

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