The Kerala police have arrested 2061 people so far who took part in the demonstrations across the state against the entry of women into Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam on Thursday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the prevailing situation in the southern state which has witnessed violent incidents following the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of menstrual age to offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple, officials said
Cracking the whip on the protesters, police have arrested 2061 people so far, who took part in the demonstrations across the state against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.
State police chief Loknath Behera on Thursday said the arrests were made in the last two days and 452 cases registered in connection with violent incidents following the supreme court verdict.
The Kerala Police on Wednesday issued a lookout notice for 210 suspected for instigating violence following the Supreme Court verdict. The notice had been circulated among all district police chiefs.
A number of protests were staged after the doors of the Lord Ayyappa's temple opened on October 17 for the first time after the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the holy shrine.
A five-member constitutional bench of the apex court headed by the then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra had delivered the verdict on September 28, 2018 allowing all women into Sabarimala.
However, not a single woman could enter the shrine owing to the widespread protests across the state. The temple closed down for the month on October 22 after it opened for five days as a monthly ritual in the Malayalam month of Thulam.
(With inputs from Agencies)