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Three members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were arrested for allegedly disrupting Christmas celebrations at a government school in Palakkad, Kerala. The incident occurred at the Nallepilly Government Upper Primary School on Friday, where students and teachers were participating in festivities after their semester exams.
The accused, K Anilkumar, V Susasanan, and K Velayudhan, allegedly entered the school premises, questioned the celebration, and verbally threatened teachers, citing why events like Sri Krishna Jayanti were not being organised.
According to the FIR, they also raised objections to teachers wearing Santa Claus attire. The trio was booked under charges including promoting enmity between groups based on religion, criminal trespass, and intimidation.
In response to the incident, members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Youth Congress staged a protest. They conducted a symbolic Christmas carol, complete with Santa Claus, music, and sweet distribution, emphasising that such actions would not be tolerated in Kerala. Protesters reaffirmed the state’s secular ethos, saying, “The secular society of Kerala will reject these attempts.”
Union Minister George Kurian condemned the incident and called for stringent action against the accused. He also advocated for inclusive celebrations of all religions in schools. Opposition leader VD Satheesan accused the Sangh Parivar of attempting to disrupt communal harmony, while BJP leaders distanced themselves from the incident, urging an impartial investigation.
