The centre stage of the simmering Sabarimala issue shifted temporarily from the forest shrine to Raj Bhavan here on Friday with State Police Chief (SPC) Loknath Behera making a high-profile call on Governor P. Sathasivam to brief him on the law and order situation in the State.
The State had on Thursday witnessed widespread vandalism and attacks on women pilgrims, journalists and the police as "Save Sabarimala" campaigners, a combination of Hindu right wing organisations backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), imposed a general strike on the State.
A Raj Bhavan official said Mr. Behera informed the Governor of the measures adopted by the police to maintain public peace in the wake of the violence that unfolded across the State on Thursday.
Chennithala
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala arrived at Raj Bhavan close on the heels of Mr. Behera. He told Mr. Sathasivam that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s ineptitude to resolve the emotive issue through consensus and legal recourse had undermined public peace. Later, a galaxy of BJP leaders called on the Governor. They included film star Suresh Gopi, MP; O. Rajagopal, MLA; M. Ramesh, State general secretary of the party; and S. Suresh, BJP district secretary.
The BJP leaders told him that the government was using the police to crush Ayyappa devotees who were deeply upset by the move to “forcibly” bring women of childbearing age to Sabarimala under police escort. He assured the leaders that he would convey their concern to the State government.
