Row Over Display Of RSS Founder’s Portrait At Kollam Temple Festival; TDB Seeks Vigilance Report
The images of Hedgewar were reportedly displayed along with the photos of prominent social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru and B R Ambedkar during Kollam Pooram festival on Tuesday night.
The display of RSS founder KB Hedgewar’s portraits during a temple festival in Kollam district has sparked controversy in Kerala, prompting the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to request a report from its vigilance wing.
The images of Hedgewar were reportedly displayed along with the photos of prominent social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru and B R Ambedkar during Kollam Pooram festival here on Tuesday night.
TDB sources on Wednesday said the management of Puthiyakavu Temple, a local shrine in the district which does not come under its ambit, is allegedly responsible for the showcasing of the images of the RSS leader during the "kudamattam" as part of the Pooram festivities.
Kollam Pooram is a spectacle being held during the annual festival at the famous Ashramam Sri Krishnaswamy Temple.
Though Ashramam temple that comes under the TDB is the organiser of the event, other local temples also take part in it, sources said.
"As the issue regarding display of the pictures of the RSS leader during the Kollam Pooram came to the notice, the TDB has sought a report from the Devaswom Vigilance in this regards. Further steps will be taken after receiving the report," a TDB official told PTI.
He made it clear that the management of Puthiyakavu Temple, which had allegedly displayed the pictures of the RSS leader during the festival, is not a TDB shrine.
"Other temples also used to take part in the festival. We will examine the matter," the official added.
The management of the Ashramam temple also said they had no prior knowledge about Puthiyakavu temple's plan to display the RSS leader's pictures during the " Kudamattam" (changing of umbrellas) ritual.
They also said the other temples taking part in the Pooram were doing all their preparations "secretively".
The incident comes close on the heels of controversies regarding the alleged rendition of the RSS "gana geetham" (prayer song) during a musical concert at a temple in Kottukkal and the singing of "revolutionary songs" praising the CPI(M) during another festival in Kadakkal in the district.
The developments happened at a time when a High Court directive is in place against the displaying of political symbols during temple festivals.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan criticised the incident and alleged that a section of people were making deliberate attempts to politicise places of worships in the state.
The UDF adopts a stand against the politicising of places of worships, he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
He also urged both the RSS and the CPI (M) to keep away from this practice.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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