THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shiv Sena district leaders here on Saturday said its members will commit suicide if girls and women in the 10-50 age group enter the Sabarimala temple The outfit claimed to have readied a seven-member suicide squad to ‘resist’ those daring to defy the customs and traditions of the Sabarimala temple.Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, Sena district president Peringammala Aji said hundreds of Sena workers, including elderly women, would congregate at Nilakkal and Pamba when the temple opens for Mandalakala pilgrimage on October 17.“We would do everything possible to stop young women from crossing the Pamba. They would be able to trek the hill only by stepping over the dead bodies of our workers. Be it Tripti Desai or anyone else, our workers wouldn’t let anybody break customs,” the Sena leader said.However, he hastened to add that the protest plans shouldn’t be construed as an open challenge to the Supreme Court’s verdict that struck down the rule that disallowed women in the 10-50 age group from entering the temple.“The SC was misinformed. We are with devotees who have been protesting against the attempts to break centuriesold tradition. More than a 1,000 Sena workers would trek Sabarimala to support them,” he said.Sena leaders said the state government’s stance was obdurate and it hurt the sentiments of Hindus. They also questioned the sincerity of BJP leaders.There was no point in expecting the CPM-led government, which had mooted change in customs and practices, to come out with steps for protecting the interests of devotees.“The BJP leaders, instead of taking out a long march to the secretariat, should march to Delhi and compel the central government to come out with a permanent solution,” he said.

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