BJP calls FIR on Operation Sindoor-themed Onam floral carpet an insult to soldiers; police cite RSS flag use
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday demanded the withdrawal of an FIR filed by state police against two RSS workers in Kollam district. The case was registered after a Pookkalam, created outside the Parthasarathy temple in Sasthamcotta, carried the words “RSS flag and Operation Sindoor.”
“This is Kerala. It is a proud part of India. Yet, an FIR has been lodged for making a Pookkalam with the words ‘Operation Sindoor’ in it. Absolutely Unacceptable!” Chandrasekhar wrote on X.
This is Kerala. It is a proud part of India. Yet, an FIR has been lodged for making a Pookkalam with the words "Operation Sindoor" in it.
Absolutely Unacceptable!
Operation Sindoor is our pride. It is the symbol of the valor and courage of India’s armed forces. It is an… https://t.co/7C8ocJsIG5 pic.twitter.com/V2DDzuwAdX— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) September 6, 2025
BJP chief defends ‘Operation Sindoor’
He stated that ‘Operation Sindoor’ symbolises “the valour and courage of India’s armed forces” and was carried out to avenge the killing of 26 tourists who were asked their religion before being murdered.
“This FIR by Kerala Police is an insult to each of those 26 victims of Terror and their families, and also every soldier who defends India with his blood and sacrifice,” he wrote.
Chandrasekhar further noted that “thousands of Malayalis wear the uniform, guard our borders, and lay down their lives for the Tricolor.” He added that “in the name of every Malayali who believes in serving the nation, this FIR and this type of shameless appeasement will be opposed.”
Warning against appeasement politics
The Kerala BJP chief also warned that Kerala “is not, and will never be, a land ruled by Jamaat-e-Islami or Pakistan.” He urged the state government to act immediately: “Kerala Police must not forget that this is India. To them and to the CM/Home Minister @pinarayivijayan ji, I say withdraw this shameful and seditious FIR. Now!”
Police version of the case
According to the FIR, the accused RSS supporters, along with about 25 others, allegedly tried to provoke tensions between political groups by putting up a flag pole and flex boards inside the temple premises.
Police explained that since the area had witnessed earlier clashes between CPM and BJP workers, both sides were instructed not to use party flags or symbols in the floral carpet. Although both parties initially agreed, an RSS flag was later found in the Pookkalam.
A case has been registered under sections relating to attempts to incite riots, police confirmed.