Gender equality activist Trupti Desai, who had vowed to visit the Sabarimala temple on November 17, was forced to stay inside the Cochin International Airport on Friday as over 300 hundreds protesters gathered at the arrival gate of the domestic terminal.

Desai along with six women pilgrims, all aged under 50, arrived in Kochi from Pune at 4.40 am on Friday. However, she has not been allowed to move out of the arrival terminal of the airport so far. Taxi drivers also refused to take the group on their onward journey as they "fear for safety".

"We are not being allowed to book a cab by the protesters. We are being threatened that our cars will also be vandalised," the activist told News18, adding that the protesters were members of the BJP and the RSS.

Desai is the founder of Bhumata Brigade, an organisation that has spearheaded a successful campaign for women's right to worship in temples in North India. Desai had written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the state DGP, requesting for police protection, following which nearly 100 police officers were deputed outside the airport.

Nearly 700 women have signed up to visit the Lord Ayyappa temple, which opens on Friday evening for the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season on Friday. Protesters have vowed to stop the women, with Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar saying they would guard the temple for the next 60 days.

Kerala BJP leader MN Gopi said they would not let Desai go to Sabarimala, but the protest would remain “peaceful”.

“We have told the airport cab services to not give her a ride out of the airport. We know that she has police protection but if the police try to bring her out or try to escort her out of the airport then we will agitate,” he said.