Sabarimala protests LIVE updates: Trupti Desai returns, state-wide shutdown called by Hindu outfits

Rightwing Hindu outfits have called for a dawn to dusk hartal in Kerala Saturday in protest against the arrest of a senior Sangh Parivar leader who was on the pilgrimage to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. VHP state president S J R Kumar alleged that Hindu Aikyavedi state President K P Sasikala was arrested by the police near Marakkoottam near Sabarimala at 2.30 am on Saturday, news agency PTI reported.

Rightwing Hindu outfits have called for a dawn to dusk hartal in Kerala Saturday in protest against the arrest of a senior Sangh Parivar leader who was on the pilgrimage to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. VHP state president S J R Kumar alleged that Hindu Aikyavedi state President K P Sasikala was arrested by the police near Marakkoottam near Sabarimala at 2.30 am on Saturday, news agency PTI reported.

The Sabarimala temple opened Friday evening for a two-month long pilgrimage season amid tight security. After a 14-hour standoff, social activist Trupti Desai, who landed in Cochin airport from Mumbai to undertake the pilgrimage, was sent back due to protests by devotees.

Desai, who arrived at the airport with six women colleagues, said she would return as police informed her that there would be law and order problem if she visited the shrine. However, she vowed to come back to the state soon to have darshan of Lord Ayyapa. The activist was also greeted by protesters upon return outside the Mumbai airport. She and the other women had to be escorted with the help of CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) jawans and Mumbai police personnel.

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