Sabarimala row: Trupti Desai continues to wait inside airport amid protests

KOCHI: More than five hours after arriving in Kochi, Bhoomatha Brigade founder and president Trupti Desai is still inside the Cochin airport at the domestic arrival section along with five other women who have come to pray at Sabarimala .


The protesters belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are waiting outside in huge numbers at all possible exits to ensure that she doesn't go out through any other exit.

BJP leader K Surendran has arrived and along with the leadership of Hindu Aikya Vedi, RSS is trying to speak to Trupti Desai to go back.

She remains firm in her resolve to go to Sannidhanam and pray to Ayyappa.

Earlier, she arrived by an Indigo flight at 4.35am at Cochin International Airport.

When asked by police on what her plans were, Trupti said that she wanted to go to Kottayam and from there to Sabarimala.

She had asked the state government to provide security for her to reach Sannidhanam. However, police had said that they would give normal protection and not special protection. Police then told her to arrange taxi to leave airport.

She can't leave the airport as online taxi operators have refused to take her stating security reasons. They say that their vehicle would be attacked. Police have asked her to make her own arrangements.