The police on Saturday took BJP leader K. Surendran into preventive custody after he attempted to enter Sabarimala through the check-post at Nilackal, the base camp 26 km downhill from the forest shrine.
A police team led by Superintendent of Police Yatish Chanda hustled him away in a patrol van to the district police headquarters at Pathanamthitta at 7.20 p.m.
Violation of ban orders
An officer said the police would book him for violating prohibitory orders at Nilackal and attempting to upset peace.
They would present him before a magistrate court after conducting a medical examination. The arrest of Hindu Aikya Vedi leader K.P. Sasikala on Saturday had prompted the organisation to impose an impromptu general strike in the State.
His arrest came after a 20-minute tense standoff with the police. Officers prevented Mr Surendran and six of his associates from proceeding to Pampa and from there to the sanctum. Mr. Surendran rebuffed the request of the police to discuss his demand at the nearby control room.
Mr. Surendran argued that he was there as an ordinary pilgrim and not a protester. However, law enforcers did not heed his words and arrested him on the spot. Mr. Surendran’s associates chanted Ayyappa slogans and courted arrest with minimal resistance.
