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Thursday April 18, 2024

India court orders security for women who entered flashpoint temple

By AFP
January 19, 2019

NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court on Friday ordered southern Kerala state to provide "round-the-clock" security to two women who enraged conservatives by entering one of Hinduism’s holiest temples earlier this month. The court in September overturned a ban on women aged between 10 and 50 from entering the hilltop Sabarimala temple, but the devotees refused to accept the ruling and prevented female worshippers from entering. News that two women had managed to enter the shrine on January 2 triggered days of violent protest, with one person killed and dozens injured in clashes with police that saw buses torched and bombs hurled.