Row Over Onam ‘Pookalam’ With Operation Sindoor Inscription at Kerala Temple, 27 RSS Activists Charged

A ‘pookalam’ (floral carpet) at the Parthasarathy temple in Kerala’s Kollam district has triggered controversy, with police booking 27 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists for allegedly violating a Kerala High Court order.

Temple authorities said the carpet, inscribed with the RSS flag and “Operation Sindoor,” breached a 2023 court ban on decorative items near the temple to prevent clashes. “We respect Operation Sindoor, but this was not as the accused are portraying it,” temple committee member Asokan C told PTI.

The floral design was part of the temple’s Onam celebrations. Based on the committee’s complaint, police filed an FIR citing violations under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including disobedience of lawful orders and provocation with intent to cause riot.

The BJP condemned the case as “shocking,” with state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleging appeasement and warning of legal action if the FIR is not withdrawn. “This is Kerala, not Pakistan. An FIR for a Pookalam with ‘Operation Sindoor’ is absolutely unacceptable,” he wrote on X.

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya also accused the Left government of hypocrisy, saying it cracked down on patriotic messages while lecturing the nation on free speech.