Thrissur Pooram disruption part of election strategy: MR Ajith Kumar’s report to police chief
The report claims that officials from the Thiruvambady Devaswom instigated the disturbances but refrained from naming the political party that might benefit from it.
The report claims that officials from the Thiruvambady Devaswom instigated the disturbances but refrained from naming the political party that might benefit from it.
The report claims that officials from the Thiruvambady Devaswom instigated the disturbances but refrained from naming the political party that might benefit from it.
Thiruvananthapuram: The disruption of the Thrissur Pooram was allegedly orchestrated to influence the recent Lok Sabha elections, according to a report by ADGP MR Ajith Kumar, who led the investigation into the incident.
The report, submitted to the state police chief in September, accuses officials from the Thiruvambady Devaswom of engineering the disturbances but refrains from naming the political party that might benefit from them.
The findings indicate that 'certain individuals within the Thiruvambady Devaswom conspired with vested interests and made unlawful demands to sabotage the festival.' The report further reveals a premeditated decision to disrupt the Pooram if these demands were unmet.
The report includes the names of a BJP state vice-president and a prominent RSS leader in the supplementary statements, hinting at broader political implications.
"From the outset, the Thiruvambadi Devaswom attempted to disrupt Pooram by raising illegal and impractical demands and exaggerating minor issues. Their actions aimed to create public sentiment against the State government and the district administration. The festival's disruption was exploited by parties with vested interests to gain political mileage during the Lok Sabha elections," states the report.
It further notes that the police acted within the law, but some officers discontented with Police Commissioner Ankit Asokan's functioning style may have leveraged the situation. The Special Branch, too, failed to provide any warnings of potential sabotage. The report alleges that those creating trouble intended not to conduct the festival but to derail it under flimsy pretexts.
Three-tier investigation not complete
The DGP received the report and forwarded it to the Chief Minister, along with a request to examine whether ADGP Ajith Kumar, who was in charge of law and order, had made any lapses in ensuring the event's safety.
Consequently, the State government ordered a three-tier probe involving the Crime Branch, Intelligence and the DGP. While the Crime Branch was directed to register cases and investigate the findings of the report, the Intelligence ADGP was tasked with probing failures by officials deputed for the festival. The DGP, on his part, initiated an internal review to determine if Ajith Kumar played any role in the festival’s disruption. These investigations are still ongoing.
The Thrissur Pooram, held in April, witnessed unprecedented police intervention in its rituals, leading to controversies that marred the iconic festival. For the first time in its history, the fireworks display, a major highlight typically held in the early hours, was postponed to daylight the next day, much to the disappointment of pooram enthusiasts.