4 TRANSWOMEN STOPPED FROM ENTERING SABARIMALA; TOLD BY COPS TO 'DRESS LIKE MEN'

The Kerala Police allegedly stopped four transgender persons from entering the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, saying that they won't be allowed to go forward if they are dressed like women. The 4 transwomen have also accused the police of misbehaving with them.

The transgender persons — identified as Ananya, Trupthi, Avanthika and Ranju — who were on a customary fast,  left for Sabarimala in the wee hours of Sunday, but were stopped at Erumeli police station.

According to a report in News18, the police initially asked the four persons to change their clothes if they wanted security. However, they later refused to allow them to trek to the shrine even after they agreed to change their attire.

“The police insisted that we dress like men. Initially we said we wanted to do the ‘darshan’ in the same dress. They asked to wear either pants and shirts or mundu and shirts,” Ananya told media.

“Later, we agreed to change our clothes, but the police withdrew their earlier promise of taking us to the temple. The police were continuously harassing us, they were talking to us as if they were talking to criminals,” said Ananya, adding that the police threatened their driver as well.

In a video posted on Facebook, Ananya narrated the whole incident.