Sabarimala: The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala, which has been at the centre of a storm after the Supreme Court allowed women of all age groups to enter the hill shrine, witnessed some poignant moments on Monday.
As the doors of the Sabarimala temple opened for devotees early morning, IG Sreejith of the Kerala Police was seen among the hundreds of devotees paying obeisance to the lord. TV cameras that zoomed in on the senior cop captured an emotional Sreejith with tears rolling down his face. The senior cop was dressed in civilian clothes for his first darshan at Sabarimala after the temple opened for monthly rituals on October 17.
Pious devotees are often seen with misty eyes or crying out loud as they worship the deity.
The senior cop had drawn flak for giving protection to activist Rehana Fathima, who made a failed attempt to reach the Sabarimala. A 180-member police force had given her security till Nadapanthal on Friday but as protests intensified they abandoned the journey. Even Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran had said that Sabarimala was not a place to show activism.
The state has been witnessing massive protests opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple since the government decided to implement the apex court order. Police personnel had clashed with protesters at the base camp in the past few days. Police chief Loknath Behera said the cops will conduct a review of the alleged police lapses while handling the issues related to Sabarimala.
