New Delhi: The Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms have alleged that attempts are being made to disrupt the upcoming temple festivals in Kerala. The Devaswoms claimed before the Supreme Court that efforts are being made to derail the festivals, including Maha Shivaratri, which are soon to take place. The Devaswoms raised this concern while urging the Supreme Court to urgently consider a petition challenging the stay order on the Kerala High Court’s stringent guidelines regarding elephant parades (Aana Ezhunnallippu).

The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the Kerala High Court's directive that imposed strict regulations on elephant parades, deeming the guidelines impractical. However, following the implementation of this stay order, the petitioner in the case, V K Venkidachalam, approached the Supreme Court, citing an incident during a procession at the Puthiyangadi mosque in Malappuram, where an elephant caused an accident. Venkidachalam’s lawyer requested the Supreme Court to lift the stay order imposed on the Kerala High Court's directive.

The lawyer argued that the elephant's action had led to an accident and sought to bring this issue to the Kerala High Court’s attention. However, Justice B V Nagarathna's bench, which heard the matter, clarified that the Kerala High Court was dealing with this matter of its own accord and that no further steps would be taken while the Supreme Court's stay order was in effect.

The Supreme Court further emphasised that the High Court had issued its own ruling on this issue, and any other issues would need to be addressed by the Kerala High Court.

In the midst of this, M R Abhilash, the lawyer for the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms, stated that attempts are being made to disrupt the upcoming festivals, including Maha Shivaratri. He highlighted that this was one of the reasons for the request to lift the stay order. 

As per the Supreme Court’s website, the Devaswoms’ petition will be considered on February 4, and Venkidachalam's lawyer requested that their concerns be addressed at that time. However, the Supreme Court declined to issue an order at this stage.