UDF rejects 3-tier investigation into Thrissur Pooram disruption, seeks judicial probe

Thiruvananthapuram: The disruption of the iconic Thrissur Pooram festival ignited a heated debate in Kerala Assembly on Wednesday, as the opposition UDF alleged it occurred with the knowledge of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while the ruling LDF dismissed calls for a judicial probe and said an comprehensive investigation is underway.

The Congress-led UDF opposition alleged in the House that since the festival was disrupted with active knowledge of Vijayan, any probe ordered by him was untrustworthy.

It further claimed that the festival was "deliberately disrupted" with the intention of providing an opportunity to BJP leader Suresh Gopi to intervene in the issue "as a hero" and ensure his victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

"Therefore, we have no faith in the three-tier investigation ordered by the CM and demand a judicial probe into the matter," Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan and senior Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said.

The allegations and contentions by the UDF came during a debate in the House on a notice moved by the opposition seeking adjournment of the Assembly proceedings to discuss whether a judicial probe was required into the festival disruption.

The adjournment notice was moved by UDF MLAs, including Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Anoop Jacob and K K Rema.

State Devaswom Board Minister V N Vasavan, rejecting the opposition demand, said a comprehensive three-tier probe has been ordered by the government to ascertain what really happened during the festival and who was behind it.

"So, why can't you wait for the report of the three-tier probe? Why the urgency? Let the report come," the minister said during the debate on the notice.

He also said that the investigation will bring out the true culprits behind the festival disruption.

Meanwhile, state Revenue Minister K Rajan said the RSS was behind the conspiracy to disrupt the festival and the same has to be brought out. He, too, said that the probe ordered by the government will bring out the truth.

Following the debate, the adjournment notice was rejected by the House by a show of hands.

During the debate, the UDF questioned what the state government was doing for the last five months after coming to know what happened during the festival.

Satheesan said that the CM in April sought a report from the State Police Chief within one week, but nothing happened after that for five months.

"What were you doing during those five months?" he asked.

Satheesan alleged that the BJP was also complicit in the disruption of the festival even though the party waxes eloquent about temples and rituals.

"They were complicit in it to win from Thrissur," he said.

He also alleged that in the LS polls in Thrissur, the votes lost by UDF went to the LDF and not the BJP.

"It is the CPI(M) votes that went to the BJP," he contended, by examining the votes LDF got in the 2021 Assembly elections and those it won in the 2024 LS polls.

Satheesan said that votes won by the LDF in the 2021 Assembly elections in Thrissur were lost by it in the 2024 LS polls.

However, the opposition contention was rejected by the LDF, which said that the voting patterns of Assembly and LS polls cannot be compared.

The LDF also said that it was the Congress which has links with the BJP and the RSS and not the Left front.

In the morning, while agreeing to debate the adjournment notice, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh contended that the opposition was trying to create a "political smokescreen" for their own benefit.

There were police interventions in the Thrissur Pooram rituals and the subsequent controversies had taken 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.