MPs from Kerala staged a demonstration in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament to call for security for pilgrims visiting Sabarimala. The MPs demonstrating at Sabarimala demanded security, safety, and basic amenities for pilgrims. Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader NK Premachandran stated: “Sabarimala is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the nation, drawing thousands of visitors each year. Therefore, it is regrettable that the state government has not taken the necessary steps to provide devotees with the facilities they require.
The pilgrims are forced to wait 18 hours for a darshan (sighting of the deity). No medical facilities, drinking water, and transport facilities are available. Sufficient police protection is also not available for the security and safety of the pilgrims.”
He added that a girl, aged 8 years, died standing in the queue and yet, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government took no proactive step for the protection of pilgrims.
“Only 600 police personnel have been deployed there. We are demanding that sufficient protection be provided to the pilgrims. We demand an urgent intervention by the National Disaster Management Authority. We are also planning to stage a dharna in the House (Assembly) today. We have all given an adjournment notice for the same,” he added.
Abdul Basheer from IUML said that the protest was in the interest of the safety of the pilgrims.
The largest pilgrimage site in South India is Sabarimala. To guarantee the security of pilgrims visiting the shrine, the government is not, however, taking any action. We have approached the government on multiple occasions to guarantee the security of followers. We even wish to make the public aware of it. In order to guarantee the security of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala, the government ought to act right away,” he continued.