President of Ayyappa Dharma Sena, Rahul Easwar, has been taken into custody under section 153 of the IPC on Sunday. Easwar had asserted that people were ready to spill blood inside the Temple to force it to close down. He was released on bail by a local court only on the 22nd of this month.
Thiruvananthapuram: Rahul Easwar taken into custody under IPC Section 153(for promoting enmity b/w groups on grounds of religion)for his statement that ‘there were people ready to make wounds in their hand&spill blood in temple so that temple have to be closed down’.#Sabarimala pic.twitter.com/SbvoJNzviP
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2018
Only yesterday, Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister of Kerala, had slammed Easwar on social media.
Rahul Eswar is now in a denial mood. But before tweeting I verified the video of press conference where you disclosed plan b to pollute the temple with blood of volunteers and close it down.Even BJP leaders washed their hands of you. Police has registered a case. Sorry, man.
— Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) October 27, 2018
Easwar took to Twitter to express that the police has not allowed him to have breakfast and making calls.
Police not allowed me to take breakfast, 1st promised that they will take me to kims hospital. Changed promise and taking me to central police station near high court kochi.
Is this not human rights violation.
— Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) October 28, 2018
Easwar being taken into custody appears to be consistent with the larger crackdown on devotees of Lord Ayyappa by the communist government in Kerala. Even the Kerala High Court took cognizance of the arrests, which number over 2000, and warned that the government will have to pay “heavy price” if any innocents are arrested.
