Sabarimala temple violence: Police arrests activist Rahul Easwar

Pamba, Oct 17: Hindu Activist Rahul Easwar has been arrested from Nilakkal base camp and a non-bailable FIR has been registered against him in the wake of violence by protesters in Nilakkar against Supreme Court verdict in Sabarimala temple case. He is kept at Pamba police station.

Easwar says to ANI 'I didn't hit any woman there. I was moving to the other direction. It's a vendetta against me.'

Rahul Easwar Tuesday changed his stance on stopping the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple.

"We, the devotees, would stand here very peacefully and pray, following Gandhian ways. We hope that the Devaswom Board and the ministers will hear our prayer," he tells the media as the temple gets ready to open for the season on Wednesday.

This was in stark contrast with what he had declared a few days. Two days after the Supreme Court verdict, Rahul had said that women (between the ages of 10 and 50) would enter Sabarimala only by stamping on the chests of devotees and protests would be organised against their entry across the state.

Also, Rahul had told the media that various devotee forums would only chant prayers and will not protest.

Lord Ayyappa Temple

Devotees, including women, outside the Lord Ayyappa Temple on its opening day in Sabarimala, Kerala, Wednesday, Oct 17, 2018. Sabarimala temple opened for the first time for women between the age of 10 and 50 on Wednesday, turning over the age-old custom of not admitting them based on a 28 September Supreme Court verdict. (PTI Photo)

Police escort Madhavi

Police escort Madhavi (of Andhra Pradesh) and her family members after she was heckled by the protesters while she was seeking the entry to the Lord Ayyappa Temple on its opening day in Sabarimala, Kerala, Wednesday, Oct 17, 2018. Tension is witnessed outside Sabarimala temple that was opened for the first time for women between the age of 10 and 50 on Wednesday, turning over the age-old custom of not admitting them based on a 28 September Supreme Court verdict. (PTI Photo)

Police escort Madhavi

Police escort Madhavi (of Andhra Pradesh) and her family members after she was heckled by the protesters while she was seeking the entry to the Lord Ayyappa Temple on its opening day in Sabarimala, Kerala, Wednesday, Oct 17, 2018. Tension was witnessed outside Sabarimala temple that was opened for the first time for women of all ages on Wednesday, following a 28 September Supreme Court verdict that turned over the age-old custom of not admitting women between the age group of 10-50 years of age. (PTI Photo)

Ayyappa Temple head priest

Ayyappa Temple head priest (Tantri) Kandararu Rajeevaru gestures at devotees who were staging a protest against the Supreme Court verdict on entry of women, as he arrives on the opening day of the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, Wednesday, Oct 17, 2018. (PTI Photo)