Thrissur Pooram disruption inquiry report triggers fresh political storm

The Crime Branch inquiry into the disruption of the 2024 edition of the Thrissur Pooram has sparked a fresh controversy with the report reportedly exonerating the police while placing the responsibility for the disturbances on the Thiruvambadi Devaswom.

The report of the probe, ordered by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in October 2024, was submitted on Friday (February 13, 2026), after 16 months . Its findings have drawn criticism from various quarters, amid allegations that the report seeks to absolve the police of wrongdoing while faulting the Devaswom for failing to comply with the decisions taken at review meetings chaired by the District Collector and the City Police Commissioner.

‘Role of Collector’

Former Minister and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader V.S. Sunil Kumar questioned the role of the then District Collector V.R. Krishna Theja in the episode. He said it was implausible that any Devaswom would deliberately act to disrupt the Pooram. “Some individuals within the Devaswom may have political interests, but it is unfair to hold the institution as a whole responsible,” he said.

Alleging political conspiracy behind the disruption, he called for a thorough investigation into the former Collector’s role in the incident. “The Collector reportedly asked the Minister and the MLA not to visit the venue. Despite being invited for discussions with Thiruvambadi, the Collector did not attend it. There are grounds to suspect that there was an intention to let the Pooram be disrupted,” he said.

Mr. Sunil Kumar also described it as “suspicious” that the Collector went on deputation after the elections, and alleged that the political beneficiaries of the disruption were the BJP and the RSS. He added that the position taken by the then City Police Commissioner had further aggravated the situation.

DCC stance

Meanwhile, Thrissur District Congress Committee (DCC) president Joseph Tajet said devotees and residents of Thrissur had rejected the Crime Branch report submitted to ADGP H. Venkatesh in Thiruvananthapuram.“The inquiry report cannot erase the wound in the minds of devotees and the public. The government has done nothing to heal that wound,” he said.

Mr. Tajet further alleged that inexperienced officials were assigned to oversee the Pooram, resulting in avoidable incidents.

“The government set the stage for the disruption of the Pooram by appointing ADGP Ajith Kumar,” he alleged. He also claimed that with the Pooram and the Assembly elections approaching, the CPI(M) is once again politicising the festival, thereby providing the BJP with an opportunity to gain electoral advantage.

“Even after a prolonged, multi-layered probe lasting over a year and a half, the authorities have failed to identify those truly responsible for the disruption. This points to a serious lapse on the part of the Home department,” he said, questioning why no action had been initiated despite the then DGP’s report reportedly flagging lapses by senior officers.

BJP response

BJP State vice-president B. Gopalakrishnan demanded that the findings against the Thiruvambadi Devaswom be withdrawn. “It is condemnable that a report has effectively turned the complainant into the accused. If the allegation is that the Pooram was temporarily halted, the circumstances that led to such a situation must be examined,” he said.

He further alleged that the report reflects an anti-temple stance on the part of the State government and questioned why temple committees were being selectively targeted.