Thrissur (Keralam) | Thiruvambady Devaswom, one of the organisers of the iconic Thrissur Pooram, on Thursday demanded a fresh, impartial investigation into the disruption of the festival two years ago and alleged a deliberate attempt to hold them responsible for the incident.
Devaswom secretary K Girish Kumar, speaking to reporters here, said they would never attempt to disrupt the Pooram or diminish its grandeur and an impartial reinvestigation was necessary to establish the truth.
He was replying to media questions regarding a Crime Branch investigation report in this regard which reportedly implicated the Devaswom's representatives in the disruption.
Alleging that the report was completely erroneous, Kumar said it was an attempt to turn the complainant into the accused and "make a goat into a dog".
"The Crime Branch report is completely wrong. Is it not wrong to say that all representatives of Thiruvambady Devaswom were responsible for disrupting the Pooram? If the Devaswom has committed any lapses, we are ready to correct them if they are pointed out," he said.
The Devaswom would never attempt to disrupt the Pooram or diminish its grandeur, he said, insisting that an impartial reinvestigation was necessary to establish the truth.
"Everyone who witnessed the Pooram knows what happened there. After discussing this issue for two years, there is now a deliberate agenda to portray Thiruvambady Devaswom, which conducted the Pooram, as the culprit," Girish Kumar alleged.
He said the Devaswom has decided to meet Chief Minister V D Satheesan and the ministers holding the Home and Devaswom portfolios, either on Friday or Saturday, to explain its position and seek a fair investigation.
Further steps would be decided after the meetings, he added.
His remarks came amid media reports that the Crime Branch's investigation report into the Pooram disruption had been forwarded by the state police chief to the government for consideration.
The report is understood to have primarily pointed to alleged lapses on the part of the Devaswom in the circumstances that led to the disruption of the annual temple festival.
Meanwhile, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said that the UDF government will not blindly accept the Crime Branch report on Thrissur Pooram disruption that reportedly put the blame on office-bearers of the Thiruvambady Devaswom.
Controversies had taken the sheen off the Thrissur Pooram, the iconic temple festival, due to alleged restrictions imposed by police and their reported interference in the rituals in April, 2024.
For the first time in the history of the festival, the display of fireworks, one of the major attractions of the event, which was scheduled in the early hours, was held in broad daylight the next day, which turned out to be a disappointment for the festival buffs.
The alleged interference of the police in the Pooram festivities and the delayed display of fireworks triggered sharp political reactions in the state as opposition had criticised the then LDF government over the issue.