Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress and the BJP on Friday came out against the state government for allegedly not according a ceremonial Guard of Honour by Kerala police when the annual ‘Navarathri’ procession started from Suchindram in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, a tradition followed for several years. In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said not giving guard of honour was ‘a violation of tradition and condemnable.’ “Government action has inflicted wounds in secular minds in the state,” he added.
Former health minister V. S. Sivakumar said according guard of honour for the procession of idols, when it starts from Suchindram, to be installed at Sreepadmanabhaswamy temple here during Navarathri, was an age old tradition and the state police also used to accompany the procession. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said it was ‘an attempt to create division among people.’ “The festival has been social and secular for long and government wants to create division among the people.”
