Activist injured in clash during Sabarimala protest dies
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 3 (IBNS): An activist, who was injured in a clash during the protest against women's entry into Kerala's Sabarimala temple on Wednesday, has died, media reports said.
The deceased, who was a Sabarimala Karma Samithi activist, has been identified as Chandran Unnithan. He was 55.
Unnithan succumbed to his head injuries last night.
After two women, aged between 40 and 50, entered the temple a day ago, several activists called for a state-wide shutdown on Thursday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which opposes the Supreme Court's judgement allowing menstruating women to enter the shrine, has supported the strike. The Congress too sung in the same tune by announcing it will observe a "black day" on Thursday.
On Sept 28, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had lifted the ban on women's entry into the Sabarimala temple declaring the relevant rules as unconstitutional.
Following the top court's verdict, the shrine opened on Oct 18 for the first time allowing menstruating women, belonging to the age group of 10 to 50, to enter the temple.
However, several men and women had protested outside the temple, and tried to prevent the entry of women in the shrine.
For centuries, menstruating women had been banned from entering the temple in devotion to Lord Ayyappa.
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