We will hear it on Jan 22 says SC on early hearing in Sabarimala matter

New Delhi, Jan 3: The Supreme Court has refused an early hearing on a contempt plea in the Sabarimala Temple case. The court said that it has been made clear that the matter would be taken up on January 22 and there would be no hearing before that.

The matter came up before a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi.

The matter on hand pertained to the contempt plea filed against the Tantri of the Sabarimala temple. He was accused of shutting down the sanctum for purification after 2 women entered the temple on Wednesday.

The court said that it had fixed the date of hearing as January 22. We have arranged our schedules for that. We will hear this then. On January 22, the SC will hear the review petitions filed against its order, which permitted the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.

Meanwhile a dawn-to-dusk 12-hour hartal called by Hindu outfits began Thursday morning in protest against the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa .

As per initial reports, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers were plying at the railway station in the state capital and various other places.

But in Kozhikode, protesters blocked vehicles and burnt tyres in the morning.

The hartal, which began at 6 am, has been called by Sabarimala Karma Samithi, an umbrella organisation of various pro-Hindutva groups, spearheading protests against the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict, and Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP).

The BJP is supporting the shutdown while the Congress-led UDF is observing a "black day" on Thursday.

Two women, Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42), created history be stepping into the hallowed precincts guarded by police three months after the Supreme Court's historic judgement lifting the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, its "eternally celibate" deity.

As the news spread like wildfire from the hill shrine, protests erupted at several places, with Hindu right-wing activists blocking highways and forcing closure of shops and markets.

BJP and CPI(M) workers clashed in front of the Secretariat for over five hours Wednesday as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

A 55-year-old man, who was seriously injured in stone throwing at Pandalam, died late Wednesday night.

Merchants' organisations have said they would not cooperate with the hartal and keep shops and business establishments open.

Meanwhile, state DGP Loknath Behara has warned of strict action against those indulging in violence during the hartal.

Various universities, including Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi, Calicut and Kannur have postponed their examinations scheduled for Thursday.