Ayyappa Diksha devotees on Saturday protested against Atheist Association President, Bairi Naresh here after he courted controversy by making "insulting" remarks about Lord Ayyappa Swamy at Hanumakonda town.
Atheist Association President, Bairi Naresh after he courted controversy by making "insulting" remarks about Lord Ayyappa Swamy was arrested in Warangal and will be produced before the court on Saturday.
Amid the row over the alleged controversial remarks by Bairi Naresh on Lord Ayyappa, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson NV Subhash on Friday slammed Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, saying the KCR government was encouraging and protecting anti-Hindu forces in the state.
Days after Bairi Naresh made a controversial remark about Lord Ayyappa Swamy, Telangana BJP has hit out at the K Chandrashekhar Rao government for not taking any action against the Atheist Association chief.
Ten Ayyappa devotees, hailing from Sanmugasundarapuram village near Andipatti, were headed home after visiting Sabarimala when their car met with an accident late Friday.
Notably, the Mohuns Grammar school, located in Old Malakpet of Hyderabad, has been accused by the Ayyappa Swami Samiti of not allowing a student with the Ayyapa Mala (A 41-day Deeksha).
More than 2.5 lakh pilgrims have visited Lord Ayappa Temple at Sabrimala in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district in the first six days of the ongoing pilgrimage season, said Kerala Devaswom Department Minister K Radhakrishnan on Wednesday.
Officials of Andhra Pradesh have been directed by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to take steps for the medical aid of the 44 Andhra pilgrims en route to Sabarimala in a bus that met with an accident at Kerala's Pathanamthitta.
The 41-day Mandala season begins today with the start of the month of Vrishchikam of Malayalam calendar and will end on December 27. Live booking facilities have been set up for the devotees, who could not book their darshan slots via online mode.