Women scribes blocked, cars attacked by protesters near Sabarimala

Nilackal (Ker): Some women journalists faced the ire of a section of protesters agitating against the Supreme Court order allowing entry of women of all age into the Sabarimala temple and their vehicles attacked here Wednesday.

The women reporters of two national TV channels on their way to Pamba for news coverage were blocked by a violent crowd which was seen banging their cars while shouting they go back as a tense situation prevailed in the area.

The journalists were forced to get out of the vehicles by the crowd of men, protesting against the apex court order lifting the ban on entry of women in the age group of 10-50 to enter the famous hill temple of Lord Ayyappa at nearby Sabarimala.

Police intervened and escorted them to safety.

In another incident, a woman reporter of an English online media organisation was asked to get down from a state-owned KSRTC bus here, one of the entry points to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa which opened for the first time Wednesday after the apex court order.

The crowd which virtually took control of the Nilackal area also hurled stones at vehicles, including the KSRTC buses on way to Pamba.

Stones were also pelted at Police vehicles.

The number of protesters kept swelling by the hour, outnumbering the police personnel posted here.