Activist Trupti Desai Drops Sabarimala Visit Plan Amid Protests | Read

Activist Trupti Desai has called off her plan to visit the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala over concerns of law and order, and will return to Pune a few hours from now. Although the seven-member group led by the Pune-based activist arrived at the Kochi airport this morning, she was unable to leave the building or even hail a taxi because of the protesters outside. Ms Trupti initially insisted on going ahead with their plan, but relented after police advised them against doing so. "We have not come here to disrupt law and order," she had told NDTV over the phone earlier. "Police have asked us to return, but promised to help the next time we decide to come." The hilltop shrine opened at 5 pm today for a two-month-long puja, in which lakhs of devotees and tourists are expected to participate.