2 weeks ago
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The political controversy over the police restrictions during Thrissur Pooram has refused to die down, with United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate for the Thrissur Lok Sabha candidate K. Muraleedharan on Monday seeking a judicial probe into the alleged bid to sabotage Thrissur Pooram.
The Congress leader said the entire episode was scripted for the advantage of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He demanded a judicial investigation into the issue. People should know who were responsible for disturbing the Pooram ceremonies, he added.
“We sensed something fishy when the NDA candidate, who was not in the city during Pooram, reached the spot in the ambulance of Seva Bharathy. The BJP cyber cell has started a campaign saying that it was Suresh Gopi, who solved the Pooram stalemate,” he said.
On the transfer of Thrissur District Police Chief Ankit Asokan and Assistant Commissioner Sudarshan over alleged excessive police restrictions on the public and the delay in Pooram fireworks display, Mr. Muraleedharan said the police were used for implementing the agenda of the Communist Party of India (M). They will bring back the police officers back once the election process is completed, he said.
Meanwhile, National Democratic Alliance candidate Suresh Gopi alleged that the incidents during the Thrissur Pooram were pre-planned. “I don’t think a police officer alone is responsible for the entire issue. He was just implementing directions. It is better to conduct a judicial investigation into the issue.” Not only the rituals, but people’s right to watch the Pooram was affected, he said.
Meanwhile, the LDF in a statement said the UDF and the NDA are trying to make political mileage from the issue. “The State government actively intervened to solve the stalemate,” it said.
Meanwhile, Thiruvambadi Devaswom office bearers denied Mr. Gopi’s claim that he was called by the devaswom to solve the issue. They urged the political parties not to politicise the issue.
