Sabarimala row: Kerala turns into war zone; miscreants hurl crude bombs

Thiruvananthapuram: Hurling crude bombs and stones, Hindu fringe groups, on Thursday, went on a rampage on the streets of Kerala, fighting with police officials and political rivals, leaving several people injured including three BJP workers in a knife attack, officials said.

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi and Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), to protest the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday virtually brought the state down to its knees.

Hordes of Ayyappa devotees were on the streets soon after the shutdown began, placing burning tyres and granite blocks on the roads, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt at several places.