Kerala: Allegations against ADGP put Thrissur Pooram row in spotlight again

The Thrissur Pooram is back in the spotlight in Kerala after the recent startling allegations made by LDF MLA P V Anvar against senior IPS officer M R Ajith Kumar.

This has prompted ruling coalition partner CPI to urge the government to release its investigation report on alleged police excesses during the festival this year.

Anvar, in a recent Facebook post, had hinted that it was Ajith Kumar, the ADGP (Law and Order), who was behind the police interventions in Pooram rituals and the subsequent controversies which had taken the sheen off the annual spectacle held in April this year.

The other charges levelled by Anvar against the top official range from connections with gold smuggling rackets to illegally amassing wealth.

Controversial incidents

All of this has triggered a political storm in Kerala, which eventually led the state government to announce a probe into the allegations.

CPI leader and former minister V S Sunil Kumar, the Left candidate in Thrissur during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year and ex-MP K Muraleedharan, who contested as a Congress nominee, on Tuesday reiterated that police interventions and subsequent controversies on the Pooram festival night had played a key role in the victory of BJP's Suresh Gopi in the constituency.

Sunil Kumar said he doesn't have any information on the alleged role of the ADGP in the incidents that happened on the Pooram night other than the charges levelled by Anvar against him.

"We don't have any evidence other than what Anvar said. But, in the wake of the present controversies, I want the government to release the investigation report on the controversial incidents that happened during Pooram at the earliest," he told reporters here.

He said it is important to release the report to understand the truth and people of Thrissur want to know about it.

Further, he demanded that the masterminds behind the attempts to disrupt Thrissur Pooram must be exposed and held accountable.

The conspiracy angle

The CPI leader claimed it was true that a conspiracy was hatched with political motives to disrupt the annual spectacle.

Amidst the unfortunate incidents on the Pooram night, how did the then BJP candidate and present union minister Suresh Gopi appear dramatically with other RSS leaders at the place, he wanted to know.

"I will give a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today itself requesting the release of the report," Sunil Kumar added.

Meanwhile, Muraleedharan alleged that the Pooram rituals were marred with deliberate intentions.

"I still believe that the CM had a role in this. It was a drama to ensure the victory of BJP candidate Suresh Gopi. I demand a judicial probe into the matter and will give a letter to the CM in this regard," he said.

The Congress leader further alleged that the CM had entrusted with ADGP Ajith Kumar the job of causing disruptions during the Pooram festivities and it had resulted in the victory of the BJP nominee.

He also reiterated the charge that there was an understanding between BJP and the CPI(M) and CM Vijayan in Thrissur.

Iconic temple fest loses sheen

Controversies had taken the sheen off the iconic temple festival due to alleged restrictions imposed by police and their reported interference in the rituals on April 16 night.

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

The alleged interference of the police in the Pooram festivities and delaying the fireworks display triggered sharp political reactions in the state as the opposition Congress and BJP criticised the LDF government on the issue.

The Kerala government, on April 21, had directed the state police chief to investigate controversies with regard to the Thrissur Pooram and submit a report within one week.

(With inputs from agencies)