Amidst raging Pooram controversy, old video of former commissioner enjoying festival goes viral
Thrissur: Seems like controversy surrounding this year’s Thrissur Pooram is not going to end anytime soon. While the cops are being widely criticised for robbing the sheen off the revered festival, a video has surfaced online showing how former Commissioner Yathish Chandra IPS had behaved cordially with the attendees in an earlier Pooram. It also shows the elated top cop grooving to the rhythms of Pooram much to the excitement of the public gathered around him.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has sought a report from the police chief regarding the Pooram fiasco. Taking video evidence into account, Ankit Asokan and K Sudarshan, Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner respectively, have been transferred with the consent of the Election Commission.
Purported visuals of Thrissur Police Commissioner Ankit Asokan IPS misbehaving with the Pooram committee members who had brought the colourful umbrellas for ‘kudamattam’ ritual and the palm leaves to feed the elephants was shared widely on social media.
In the video, it was seen that the commissioner was shouting at the committee members asking them to take the items away. They were allowed to enter the premises only after they convinced the police that the elephants needed to be fed. The police team, led by the Commissioner, also prevented the members who came with the colourful umbrellas.
The officer was arguing that there was no space inside, inviting wrath from the onlookers who mocked the police asking if they would also prevent the ‘kudamattam’.
The police team under his leadership also tried to evacuate the employees and committee members from the fireworks site, causing discontent among them. The closing down of the roads by 10 pm for the fireworks at 3 am also irked the public. Thousands of Pooram lovers from across the State were stranded owing to the actions of the police. Many went back without witnessing the spectacular event.
The video involving Ankit Asokan is incidentally in stark contrast to the old video of Yathish Chandra, the videos were received with brickbats and bouquets respectively.