Trupti Desai and her team at Kochi International Airport
Activist Trupti Desai, the leader of Bhumata Brigade, who spearheaded a campaign for women’s entry into the Shani Shingapur temple, has failed to make her way to Sabarimala after thousands of devotees staged a massive protest at the Kochi International Airport from dawn to dusk. Trupti and her team, who reached Kochi to visit Sabarimala temple, have been sent back to Mumbai.
Desai and her team, arrived at the Kochi Airport in Nedumbaserry on Friday morning, were struck inside the airport premises for the whole day as thousands of devotees were protesting outside the airport.
Despite mounting pressure from the CPM government to facilitate her temple visit, the police had made it clear that they would not provide her security and logistical arrangements following an intelligence report. According to sources, the state intelligence has warned that the law and order situation might go for a toss if she visits the temple.
The online and private taxi drivers also refused to provide her transportation. Despite waiting inside the airport for more than 12 hrs, Trupti and her entourage could not even come out of the airport. At last, succumbing to the protests, Desai took a flight back to Mumbai at 9.30 pm on Friday. The devotees welcomed her decision with loud chants of Ayyappa Sarana mantras.
