Congress acting as Sangh Parivar's B team to prove disruption at Thrissur pooram: Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister's office has issued a statement addressing the controversy surrounding the alleged disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival. 

“The government has consistently maintained that while the festival was not disrupted, there were attempts to disrupt it. This was also clarified in cabinet decisions regarding the investigation and the state Assembly”, the statement reads.

The statement also accused the BJP and Congress of utilising the festival for political gains. 

“The interest in using festivals like Pooram for communal gains lies with the Sangh Parivar. Rather than taking responsibility to politically expose and prevent such despicable actions, the opposition is allegedly trying to gain advantages by asserting that the Pooram was disrupted, aligning with the Sangh Parivar's objectives. The opposition is playing the role of the Sangh Parivar's B team by attempting to prove that the Pooram was disrupted," it said. 

Meanwhile, the CM's office asserted that the government will take stringent legal action against "any officials who have committed wrongdoing or negligence". 

"All interventions related to the festival will be examined. The government is also focused on ensuring that the Pooram is conducted in a manner that is free from any misconduct in the coming years,” the statement adds.

The statement also questions the opposition's urgency to assert that the Pooram has been completely disrupted while investigations are underway to uncover the reasons behind the incidents. It claims that the opposition is engaging in hyperbolic propaganda, stating that the Thrissur Pooram, which involves thousands of participants, was entirely disrupted. 

Concerns were raised about the evacuation of people from the Thrissur round (Sterile Zone) related to the fireworks. There were also objections to the necessary security arrangements required for conducting the fireworks, including some actions such as switching off decorative lights. The fireworks that were supposed to happen at three in the morning took place later in the morning, and the final fireworks scheduled for the next day were also delayed, the statement says.