Simmering tension drives Trupti Desai back to Pune

Kochi: After 14 hours of confusion and tension at the Cochin International Airport Limited at Nedumbassery,  Trupti Desai, who had come to visit Sabarimala, chose to return to Pune without offering prayers at Sabarimala temple on Friday. Hundreds of protestors chanting Ayyappa hymns remained outside blocking her from emerging out of the  arrival terminal of the airport.

 “We are going back not because we are afraid of the protests staged by them, but because the Kerala Police have requested us. They said if we continue our journey or stay here, there will be violence and disruption of law and order. To break the law and order is not our motive anyway.  And we don't want the citizens of Kerala to suffer because of this. However, it's very sad to be back to Pune from where we had earlier declared that we would not come back without having darshan at Sabarimala temple," Trupti Desai told media at the international terminal of the airport before boarding a flight bound for Mumbai.

But she also said that they will come back after some days to offer prayers at the temple. "Earlier, we had publicly announced about our pilgrimage, but we won't do that again," she told the media. Ms. Desai had stuck to her decision to visit the temple during the whole day. However, after many failed negotiations, adecision was taken after the police, revenue, airport and Central Industrial Security Force officials convinced  Ms. Desai about the situation outside the terminal. The tickets were taken to a Mumbai-bound Air India flight originally scheduled for departure at 8.10 p.m., but was delayed for an hour.