Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 18 (UNI) Kerala unit of Bharatiya Janata Party is observing a 'Protest Day' on Sunday in protest against the preventive detention of party's State General Secretary K Surendran.
Police took K Surendran into custody from Nilakkal where he came to proceed towards the hillock temple at Sabarimala on Saturday night.
In protest against the detention, the party workers will stage a National Highway blockade from 1000 hrs to 1130 hrs in the State.
On Saturday, a state wide dawn-to-dusk hartal was observed by agitating devotees under the banner of various organizations following the arrest of Hindu Aikyavedi President PK Sasikala from Marakkuttam.
After the arrest, K Surendran and BJP Thrissur District President A Nagesh were taken to Chittar Police Station in Pathanamthitta district.
With in hours, hundreds of people came out to the streets and began dharna in front of the police station where police asked Electronic Media channel reporters to leave the place.
K Surendran and four others who also accompanied him were also taken into preventive custody by a police team led by SP Yathish Chandra.
The BJP leader, who was on his way to Sabarimala with the customary, 'Irumudi Kettu,' was forcefully whisked away in a police jeep at around 1920 hrs.
Talking to newspersons before the arrest, the BJP leader complained that the police was trying to deny his fundamental rights by not allowing to go to the temple for performing Poojas.
"I came here with vehicle pass from the police department and the receipts issued by the Devaswom Board for performing special Poojas including 'Neyyabisekam."
"You can stop me only after shooting at me. Even lathicharge can't stop us," he said.
Questioning the authority of the police to stop devotees entering from the temple, he said how the police can ask him to show the receipts issued by the Devaswom.
"The temple receipts should be shown to the Priests and not to the police. Are you asking the receipts for performing my Poojas ?" he questioned.
Later, BJP workers staged a protest march to Kerala Secretariat where police used water canons to disperse the agitators.
The agitating devotees yesterday staged a protest march to the DGP office protesting the police action against the Sangh Parivar leaders and devotees coming to the temple.
Reacting to the incident, BJP state President PS Sreedharan Pillai said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was informed about the police atrocities against the BJP leaders.
He also called for NH blockade on Sunday in protest against the arrest of K Surendran.
However, police said the arrest was to avoid a possible law and order problems at Sannidanam, but that statement was strongly denied by K Surendran.
Police said devotees are not allowed to proceed to Sannidanam prior to three hours of the closure of the temple at 2200 hrs.
Though Mr Surendran reached Nilakkal at around 1800 hrs, he was denied the entry by the police.
UNI DS CS 0748