Sabarimala violence is second disaster in Kerala after floods, says state finance minister Thomas Isaac

Trivandrum: State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Thursday described the violence over entry into Sabarimala Temple as the “second disaster” following the devastating floods in Kerala. “Rebuilding after the floods is a challenge before us. After floods, Sabarimala violence was the second disaster in the state. Lakhs of women came out on the streets to say they are equal and not unholy,” Isaac said while presenting the state budget. [caption id=“attachment_5030931” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Thomas Isaac. News18[/caption] His statement comes after the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that manages the Sabarimala Temple, reportedly sought financial help from the Kerala government. This comes after the Supreme Court had dismissed urgent hearing of pleas seeking review of the judgment allowing women of all ages to enter Lord Ayyappa shrine in Kerala’s Sabarimala. Reportedly, over 50 review petitions have been filed against the earlier decision of the apex court given on 28 September, 2018, which lifted the ban on the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years into the premises of Sabarimala. Following the top court’s decision, Sabarimala Temple and surrounding areas witnessed a string of protests challenging the verdict. As many as 3,505 protesters have been arrested so far in connection with the violence that broke out in the state, while around 529 cases have been registered across the state.