Thiruvananthapuram: The second day of the Kerala Assembly session started on a stormy note with the opposition Congress-led UDF and the BJP raking up the Sabarimala issue in the House.
The opposition leaders reached the House with placards and banners. A UDF meeting on Tuesday had decided to stall proceedings of the 13-day-long assembly session till the Pinarayi Vijayan government withdraws the prohibitory orders invoked by police in Sabarimala and surrounding areas.
P C George, who has also slammed the LDF government over the Sabarimala row, turned up in the assembly in black attire. The BJP had Tuesday said it would cooperate with P C George-led Kerala Janapaksham as both parties were in support of the devotees, who had been on a war path to protect the traditional rituals of the hill shrine.
The lone BJP MLA in the assembly, O Rajagopal, turned up in black at the assembly.
The Sabarimala temple was opened on November 16 for the over two-month-long pilgrimage season amid tension.
The hill shrine had been witnessing protests by devotees and right-wing groups against the LDF government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict, permitting women of all age groups to pray at the temple.
Tension, frequent protests and restrictions imposed by police at the complex and surroundings had kept pilgrims away from Sabarimala, but their numbers have slowly picked up.
Since the apex court verdict, no women in the 10-50 age group has succeeded in offering prayers at the shrine.
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