Thiruvananthapuram
A heated debate was sparked in the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday regarding the disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival. The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) claimed that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was aware of the disruption. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) dismissed calls for a judicial investigation, stating that a thorough inquiry is already in progress.
The UDF accused Vijayan of ordering an untrustworthy investigation since he allegedly had prior knowledge of the disruption. It was claimed that the festival was intentionally interrupted to allow BJP leader Suresh Gopi to intervene and gain public favor before the Lok Sabha elections.
The adjournment notice for a discussion on the need for a judicial probe was presented by UDF MLAs. State Devaswom Board Minister V. N. Vasavan insisted that the government’s three-tier investigation would reveal the truth about the festival disruption.
State Revenue Minister K. Rajan stated that the RSS was involved in the disruption and emphasized the importance of the government probe. During the debate, the UDF questioned the government’s inaction over the past five months, pointing out that a report was requested from the State Police Chief in April but no action was taken. The adjournment notice was ultimately rejected by a show of hands in the House.
