The Thiruvambady Devaswom has filed a counter affidavit before the Kerala High Court to support the allegations that the Kerala police was to blame for the disruption of this year's Thrissur Pooram, a yearly Hindu festival held in Thrissur district [VR Rajasekharan v State Kerala & ors].
In the affidavit dated November 18, the Thiruvambady Devaswom said that the police blocked access to key processions, prevented traditional rituals, and used unnecessary physical force on the public, leading to widespread unrest during the Thrissur Pooram held in April this year.
"The public, the devotees who have come to participate, witness and celebrate Pooram were prevented and the festival was abruptly brought to a grinding halt ... No public was permitted to view, witness and participate in the Ezhunellippu of their beloved God and Goddess," it added.
The affidavit signed off by Girish Kumar, the Devaswom's secretary, further alleged that the ‘Madathil Varavu,’ another important ritual, was reduced to a symbolic ceremony due to unnecessary police intervention.
The affidavit also pointed to other instances of alleged police overreach, including the obstruction of licensed fireworks handlers from accessing the ‘magazine’ to arrange traditional displays.
“No untoward incidents or crimes occurred during Pooram to warrant such actions. The police behavior was unnecessary, baseless, and lacked valid reasons,” the affidavit read.
The counter affidavit was filed in response to three writ petitions seeking action against police officials for allegedly disrupting rituals during the Thrissur Pooram held in April this year.
The matter is pending before the Bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishnan, which is slated the hear the case next on December 12.
The writ petitions were filed by P Sudhakaran, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B Gopalakrishnan and one VR Rajasekharan.
The Court had earlier sought the response of the Cochin Devaswom Board in the matter, as well as the responses of the Thiruvampady Devaswom and Paramekavu Devaswom which jointly conduct the Thrissur Pooram.
The counter-affidavit filed by the Thiruvampady Devaswom through Advocate NK Subramanian also recounted that the police even physically prevented elephant mahouts and their helpers from feeding elephants.
In photographs published in the newspapers, policemen were seen standing inside the temple wearing boots. All such actions showcased a lack of understanding on the part of the police of the Pooram’s cultural and ritualistic significance, the Devaswom went on to note.