The Union home ministry has asked Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to monitor the circulation of “adverse messages” through social media amid the protests against the Supreme Court order lifting the traditional age bar on women visiting the Sabarimala temple.

The advisory comes after stone-throwing vigilante mobs prevented young women from even getting close to the shrine on Wednesday and Thursday, and police retaliation triggered shutdowns.

“All necessary precautionary measures may be taken to maintain law and order and appropriate security arrangements may be made to prevent any untoward incident,” the advisory said.

It suggested that prohibitory orders be issued if necessary.

The advisory referred to the ideological battle being waged since the Supreme Court last month quashed a centuries-old ban on women in the “menstrual age” (10 to 50 years) entering the Kerala shrine, and the state government decided to implement the verdict.

While some rights activists and Left organisations have been urging young women to visit the shrine, some devotees’ groups and Right-wing Hindu outfits have been warning they wouldn’t let this happen.

The Sabarimala shrine opened on Wednesday for the first time since the court order, but no woman aged 10 to 50 has been able to enter the temple yet.

While orthodox Hindu groups have been protesting the court order for weeks, Wednesday’s police action on the vigilante mobs triggered state-wide shutdowns on Thursday.

“Separately, Ayyappa devotees, Hindu outfits and certain caste-based outfits have been organising state-wide protest against the Supreme Court order,” the advisory said.

“Participation in these protests has ranged from 50 to 3,000, including participation of sizeable number of women. Hindu outfits have also organised a few protest programmes in neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.”