Suresh Gopi challenges Kerala govt to request CBI probe into Thrissur Pooram

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31 (PTI) Amid controversy over his use of an ambulance to reach the Thrissur Pooram venue after hearing that the festival was disrupted, Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Thursday detailed the sequence of events leading to the incident and demanded a CBI probe into the entire episode.

Gopi, the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism, while not refuting the allegations that he reached the festival site in an ambulance, claimed that he reached close to the festival site in his car, which was then attacked by some 'goondas' of the rival political parties.

The Union MoS claimed that he was rescued from there by some youngsters who put him in an ambulance which was there at the festival site to cater to those in distress.

"I do not need to explain it further. Let the CBI come and investigate. Do they have the courage to bring the CBI. Their entire politics will go up in flames if it happens. You want the truth to come out, bring the CBI," he said.

He further claimed that all these issues were being created to hide financial frauds like the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam.

Gopi had earlier refuted the claims, including by some BJP leaders, that he had reached the festival venue in an ambulance.

The Thrissur Pooram disruption row has triggered a political debate in the state after Chief Minister Vijayan stated that the Pooram and the other rituals were not disrupted.

Congress and the Left ally CPI have alleged that the Pooram was purportedly disrupted to help the BJP win the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat by evoking Hindu sentiment.

There were police interventions in the Thrissur Pooram rituals and the subsequent controversies took the sheen off the annual spectacle held in April this year.

For the first time in the history of the festival, the display of fireworks, one of the major attractions of the event, which was scheduled in the early hours, was held in broad daylight the next day, which turned out to be a disappointment for the festival buffs. PTI