Kerala Home department endorses SPC's report on Thrissur Pooram ‘disruption' controversy

The Hindu

16-07-2025

The Kerala Home department has reportedly endorsed the then State Police Chief's (SPC) report which states that a sequence of preventable oversights on the part of the State law enforcement and certain sections of the temple management contributed to the widespread public dissatisfaction over the conduct of the iconic Thrissur Pooram ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The State Cabinet had ordered the then SPC Sheikh Darvesh Saheb to conduct a multi-tiered probe into the alleged Thrissur Pooram 'disruption'. It brought the then Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, M. R. Ajith Kumar, who was the highest-ranking officer at the festival venue, under the investigation's ambit.
According to official sources, Home Secretary Biswanath Sinha 'made a note recommending appropriate action' on the SPC's report and forwarded it to the Cabinet. However, the officials said they were unsure whether the report pointedly blamed Mr. Ajith Kumar for the 'policing flaws'.
The Thrissur Pooram 'disruption' controversy rapidly acquired a political dimension during the heat of the Lok Sabha election campaign. The Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later faulted the State police for 'botching' the festival.
Subsequently, Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who is in charge of Thrissur district and was actively involved in the festival's conduct, seemed to tacitly endorse the CPI's accusation by stating that a top-ranking official in charge of the festival's security, crowd control, fireworks, public safety, emergency response and traffic management did not respond to his urgent calls.
Public opinion 'hit' ahead of polls
Later, the Congress and the CPI alleged that the festival's 'disruption' had adversely impacted public opinion and paved the way for the BJP's resounding win in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency. Both parties signalled a conspiracy allegedly involving a ranking officer and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership to bolster the BJP's chances of bagging the Thrissur seat.
According to officials, the SPC's report blamed administrative, planning and law enforcement 'blind spots' for the 'brief discontinuance' of the festivities.
They said the SPC's investigation possibly side-stepped the political controversies centred around the issue and focussed more on providing a roadmap for the festival's smooth conduct.
The SPC also reportedly emphasised the need for stakeholders, including the Thiruvambady-Paramekkavu Devaswoms and the district administration, to reach a consensus on sensitive matters such as crowd control, road closures, vehicular and pedestrian traffic management, fireworks, and elephant processions, rather than making arbitrary and impromptu decisions that cause unnecessary friction.