Thiruvananthapuram, October 11: The Travancore Devaswom Board has clarified that no new toilet facilities would be arranged for women pilgrims, who have been allowed to visit the Sabarimala temple in Kerala following the landmark Supreme Court order.

The Board had earlier assured that it would be constructing new toilet facilities, and ensure the deployment of female police personnel, as scores of women are expected to throng the iconic Ayyappa temple with the ban on their entry being uplifted. Congress, BJP and RSS Using Sabarimala Temple Issue to Topple Kerala Government: CPI-M.

The apex court bench last month, headed by then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, had lifted the restriction on entry of women aged between 10 to 50 in the Sabarimala temple.

The decision was opposed by a section of the temple management board, who pointed out that the Lord Ayyappa deity is worshipped as celibate at the hilltop shrine.

The Bharatiya Jan Yuva Morcha - the youth wing of BJP - staged a massive protest in Kerala earlier in the day, opposing the state government's compliance with the Supreme Court's order.

Tagging the Left Democratic Front government as "anti-Hindu", the Yuva Morcha demanded Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to resign for not challenging the abrogation of the age-old custom.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 11, 2018 06:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).