Sabarimala pilgrims allowed to carry coconuts in cabin baggage in flights
New Delhi, Oct 26: Pilgrims going to Sabarimala temple in Kerala will be allowed to carry coconuts in the cabin baggage of flights till January 20, 2025, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Saturday.
The two-month-long Sabarimala pilgrimage season will start in mid-November.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has given permission to pilgrims to carry coconuts in their cabin baggage for a limited period.
Under existing norms, coconuts are not permitted in the cabin baggage on the grounds that they are flammable.
Naidu on Saturday said that to facilitate the ease of travel for Sabarimala pilgrims, an exemption has been given for "carrying coconuts in 'Irumudi' as cabin baggage during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage period".
The order will be in effect until January 20, 2025, with all necessary security checks in place, he said in a post on X..
Coconuts will be allowed to be carried in the cabin only after requisite X-Ray, ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) and physical checks.
The Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala will open for the two-month long pilgrimage season in mid-November and the pilgrimage season will go on till late January.
Lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine every year and the majority of them carry 'Irumudi Kettu' (the sacred bag containing offerings, including coconut filled with ghee, to the Lord).
Generally, those undertaking the pilgrimage to Sabarimala prepare and pack 'Irumudi Kettu' as part of the 'Kettunirakal' ritual.
During the ritual, ghee is filled inside a coconut, which is then kept in the bag along with other offerings. The bag would also have few ordinary coconuts to be broken at various holy spots during the pilgrimage.
Only those pilgrims who carry the 'Irumudi Kettu' on their head are allowed to climb the 18 sacred steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Those not carrying it have to take a different passage to reach the sanctum sanctorum.
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AAP alleges 'deep-rooted' conspiracy to kill Kejriwal, BJP terms it 'drama'
New Delhi, Oct 26: The AAP on Saturday alleged the BJP was conspiring to "kill" its convener Arvind Kejriwal and had become "an enemy of his life". The ruling party warned that the BJP would be responsible if anything happened to the former chief minister.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta dismissed the AAP's allegations, saying it was yet another "drama" by the AAP to defame the BJP ahead of the assembly polls.
The AAP had on Friday claimed that Kejriwal, a Z-plus protectee, was attacked by "BJP goons" during his 'padyatra' (foot march) in west Delhi's Vikaspuri, a charge trashed by the saffron party.
However, no video of the alleged attack was made available by the party. Police said they had not received any official complaint from the AAP.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged police were complicit in the incident.
"Police complicity in the incident clearly shows a deep-rooted conspiracy to kill Kejriwal. The BJP has become an enemy of his life," he said.
There was no immediate response from police to the Rajya Sabha MP's claim.
Singh said that despite Friday's incident, Kejriwal would carry on with the 'padyatra' as scheduled.
AAP leaders including Kejriwal are undertaking 'padyatras' in different assembly segments of the city in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, likely to be held in February 2025.
Asked why the AAP had not filed a complaint regarding the alleged attack on Kejriwal, Singh said police could take cognisance of the incident and launch a probe.
It would not have happened if police were impartial. Police officers did not do anything to stop the "attackers" who belonged to the BJP's youth wing, he claimed, adding the AAP was seeking legal opinion on the matter.
He also accused BJP leaders of supporting the "attackers".
Singh said Kejriwal would "neither stop nor bow down" and continue to fight for the people of Delhi.
If anything happens to Kejriwal, then the BJP would be responsible for it. Even if Kejriwal suffers a scratch, Delhi's people would take revenge on the BJP, he said.
At another press conference, Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed one of the attackers was the vice president of the BJP's Delhi Yuva Morcha.
"BJP Yuva Morcha functionaries attacked Kejriwal. One of the attackers is the vice president of BJP Yuva Morcha of Delhi and the second is the general secretary," he said.
The two BJP leaders, who were dancing after attacking Kejriwal, had lost the councillor elections, claimed Bharadwaj.
BJP leader Gupta rubbished the AAP's claims.
"Despite blaming the BJP, no complaint has been filed by the AAP over the alleged attack on Kejriwal, which shows that the party is trying to play the victim card and gain sympathy by trying to defame the BJP before the assembly polls," he said.
The BJP leader said the AAP is worried about the "waning public support" and is attempting to confuse people through such tactics.
The area where Kejriwal was allegedly attacked is not an AAP stronghold and hence, the party "concocted" the story to gain sympathy, Gupta alleged.
