Railway officials stated that these trains were designed to assist Ayyappa Swamy devotees traveling from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the Sabarimala shrine. The special trains allow devotees to conveniently plan their journeys and visit important pilgrimage centers and temples along the way in Kerala.
Devotees said the comments hurt their sentiments and Hindu community in particular. Protests were staged by several other Hindu groups at various places across the state since the last few days.
