PAMBA: Police have taken BJP State general secretary K Surendran into preventive custody at Nilakkal. He was on his way to Sabarimala with Irumudi Kettu along with four others, who were also taken into custody.

He and his team were forcefully whisked away in a police jeep at around 7:20 pm.

Surendran was earlier seen vigorously arguing with police, questioning them about their rights to block him and his team. “We five people have come to Sabarimala following all rules. There is no case against me and on what grounds are you denying us our right for Ayyappa darshan? I have come as an ordinary devotee and not as a BJP leader. If I had come as a leader, I would have come with more leaders. I have come with coconuts filled with ghee for Neyyabhishekam. I will not go back without Sabarimala darshan and performing abhishekham. If you want to beat or shoot us you can... we are ready to die for Lord Ayyappa,” he was heard telling the police who in large numbers blocked the forward movement of Surendren and his team.

The police version is that allowing Surendran to enter Sannidhanam would create law and order issues.

Surendran was taken into custody by a strong posse of policemen led by S P Yatheesh Chandran. The SP tried reasoning with him that devotees are not allowed to go to Sannidhanam during three hours prior to the closing of the temple and no one will be allowed to go to Sannidhanam in the night. But Surendran was not ready to buy the argument.

Surendran had reached Nilakkal at around 6:45 pm. The police blocked him when he was proceeding to KSRTC bus stand to board bus to Pamba. Before that he talked with media persons two times.

TV channels telecasted the stand-off live for about 30 minutes.