Kollam Thulasi was addressing a public gathering in Kerala's Kollam city

Malyali actor Kollam Thulasi made a shocking statement today, saying women entering Sabarimala temple should be ripped into half. Hitting out at both the central and the state governments, he said one half should be sent to Delhi while the other half should be thrown towards Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's house.

"Women coming to Sabarimala temple should be ripped into half," the actor said while addressing a public gathering in Kerala's Kollam city, according to news agency ANI.

The Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala has traditionally barred all women of menstruating age. The temple's rule followed the still widely-held belief in India that menstruating women are "impure". The custom in the temple was challenged by a clutch of petitioners who argued that women cannot be denied the constitutional right to worship.

In a four-one majority verdict last month, the top court had revoked restrictions on women entering the temple following a 20-year legal battle, ruling that patriarchy cannot be allowed to trump faith.

The verdict has received mixed reactions from people in the state. The Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board, which runs the shrine, have accepted the verdict. Mr Vijayan has said all necessary arrangements will be made for the safety and comfort of women pilgrims and that state government would not go in for a review of the ruling of the Supreme Court.

The opposition Congress, BJP and various Hindu outfits have launched protests, demanding that the state government file a review petition against the September 28 top court order.

Four review petitions have already been filed against the Sabarimala judgement, but the Supreme Court earlier this week said there will be no urgent hearing. "It will be listed in due course," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said on Tuesday.

The LDF has alleged that the ongoing stir over the Lord Ayyappa shrine was to "destabilise' the government.

With inputs from agencies