Thrissur Pooram row: Kerala Govt starts probe, orders transfer of city police commissioner

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Sunday decided to transfer the Thrissur city police commissioner and the assistant commissioner after getting permission from the Election Commission, over the controversy related to the role of the police in the recently held Thrissur Pooram. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also directed the state police chief to investigate into the matter and submit a report within one week.

The Chief Minister's Office said Thrissur City Police Commissioner Ankit Asokan and Assistant Commissioner K Sudersan shall be transferred immediately after taking necessary permission from the Election Commissioner. While, thousands witnessed the high-octane Thrissur Pooram on Friday in Thrissur in full grandeur on the sprawling grounds of the famed Vadakkunnathan Temple, controversies took the sheen off the iconic temple festival due to alleged restrictions imposed by police and their reported interference in the rituals.

Earlier today, Vijayan said that a serious probe would be held into the complaints raised by temple managements and members of the public who attended the recently held Thrissur Pooram. While addressing a press meet, the CM said the government machinery had limitations during election time. "It should be seriously probed what had happened on Pooram day. A complaint sent by the Devaswom authorities is there...The Director General of Police has been directed to carry out a probe into the incidents and submit a report," the CM said.

Necessary action would be taken after the investigation, Vijayan added. 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 on Saturday, which turned out to be a disappointment for the festival buffs. The alleged interference of the police in the Pooram festivities and the delayed display of fireworks triggered sharp political reactions in the state as opposition Congress and BJP criticised the LDF government over the issue.

Vijayan said the government and the temple managements had a cordial relationship and they had even requested him to attend the Pooram festivities on Friday but he could not attend due to election campaigning schedules.