The shutdown in Kerala was called to protest the entry of two women in the Sabarimala temple.

The Kerala Police has arrested two workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) in connection with the death of a 55-year-old man during protests that erupted over the entry of two women in the Sabarimala temple on January 2.

The protests had happened over Bindu and Kanakadurga, two women in their 40s, who defied dire threats from saffron organisations and offered prayers at the temple on January 2. In the aftermath, a dawn-to-dusk 'hartal' was called by pro-Hindutva groups.

The deceased, Chandran Unnithan, was part of the protest march taken out by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti on Wednesday evening which came under attack by CPI(M) workers. Unnithan was seriously injured after CPI(M) workers hurled stones at protestors from the top of their party office at Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district. He died late Wednesday night.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that Unnithan died due to cardiac arrest. However, the post-mortem later confirmed he died from serious head injuries.

Hordes of right-wing activists were on the streets soon after the said shutdown began, placing burning tyres and granite blocks on the roads, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt at several places.

Agitators even hurled a crude bomb at a local beedi manufacturing unit managed by the CPI(M) in Thalassery in Kannur district, but it did not explode, police said, adding 10 right-wing activists were arrested.

Another crude bomb was thrown at Nedumangadu police station about 17 km from there.

Three workers of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were also arrested on charges of stabbing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workerS during the protests.

Three BJP activists were stabbed during scuffle with workers of the SDPI, the political wing of Popular Front of India, a militant Islamic outfit. The incident occurred in Thrissur when saffron party workers attempted to force a restaurant to down the shutters.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The chief minister blamed the BJP-RSS combine for the violence and warned of stern action against the perpetrators. He told reporters that the government was not against the belief of the believers, but owed allegiance to the Constitution. "There was a clear planning to the violence unleashed by the hartal supporters. Since yesterday, there has been so much violence. Media personnel, including women, and police were among those attacked," Vijayan said.

Vijayan also slammed the Sabarimala head priest for conducting purification rituals after the entry of the two women, saying the Tantri should have quit if he was not ready to accept the Supreme Court verdict.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in Palakkad town and Manjeswaram Taluk of Kasargod district in northern Kerala on late Thursday night after widespread protest erupted over the entry of two women in their menstrual age in to Sabarimala temple. Palakkad District Collector D Balamurali issued the order for Palakkad Town after considering the reports filed by various officials including the district police chief.

Meanwhile, it was reported early today morning that a Sri Lankan woman became the latest to enter the abode of Lord Ayyappa. She later refuted those reports, mentioning she was not allowed to enter the Sabarimala shrine. She also said she presented a medical certificate claiming she had achieved menopause, but to no avail.

But it was later found out that she indeed offered prayers at the shrine. She was asked to not disclose the details of her visit for security reasons.

The issue also created a furore in the Parliament today, with BJP minister Meenakshi Lekhi leading from the front. She said any court cannot decide the faith of the people or the procedure a temple has to follow.

For the unversed, women have been being traditionally barred entry at the shrine, citing the celibate nature of Lord Ayyappan.

The Supreme Court, however, in its September verdict, lifted this ban and threw open the temple gates to women of menstruating age. The judgment was met with violent protests soon after across the state and neighbouring states.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and state Congress sparred over the turn of events and attacked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for breaking the age-old tradition.