Was Thrissur Pooram disrupted? Conflicting statements fuel controversy

Thrissur: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks that Pooram was not disrupted and that no rituals had been affected have sparked yet another controversy. On October 26, the CM said that the Pooram was not disrupted and what occurred was only a slight delay in conducting the fireworks associated with the event. This was a contradictory statement from him as he had taken a different stand earlier.

During his press conference on October 3, the CM claimed there was a planned conspiracy behind the disruption of the Pooram, executed with a clear motive. But, his comments made during the book launch of P. Jayarajan in Kozhikode on October 26 have drawn political attention, as it was a marked deviation from his earlier stand. 

Now, the police have initiated an investigation into attempts to create communal disharmony in society, based on the complaint lodged by Inspector Chitharanjan, who is a member of the investigation team which probed the Thrissur pooram disruption. 

In the initial stage of the investigation, no one has been named as an accused. However, in the complaint lodged by Inspector Chitharanjan, it was stated that the Pooram was disrupted. He noted that, based on the complaints and reports, it could be inferred that the Pooram had indeed been disrupted.

The Thrissur East Town police have registered a case based on Inspector Chitharanjan's complaint. Political observers suggest that this move is intended to bail out the CM from the latest controversy.

Meanwhile, G. Rajesh, secretary of the Paramekkavu Devaswom, has publicly opposed the FIR registered in connection with the Pooram disruption. “We cannot accept this. To register an FIR for Pooram is quite absurd. Would they do this to another religion? This is a world-famous festival, and we work hard for around a year to prepare for it. Registering a case in connection with the conduct of this festival is ridiculous. The motive behind this is suspicious,” Rajesh stated.

“While the CM himself said that the Pooram was not disrupted, the police have registered a case and are harassing the organizers. Many months have passed since the Pooram, yet problems continue to arise. We are ready to cooperate with any investigation,” he added.

Even as the CM maintains that the Pooram was not disrupted, numerous questions remain unanswered. The police had blocked roads, forcing the Panchavadyam of the Thiruvambadi group to stop. The number of elephants was reduced to one, and the lights decorating the area were switched off. Additionally, a veritable sense of insecurity prevailed in the city from 10 PM to 5 AM.