'Sang patriotic song'; Explanation for singing Gana Geetham at ganamela in Kollam temple 

KOLLAM: The Kadakkal police have started an investigation against the RSS for singing Gana Geetham during a ganamela held at the Bhadrakali temple in Kottukkal, Kollam. The ganamela held on Saturday night at the temple under the Travancore Devaswom Board, had sparked a controversy. The Devaswom Board assigned the Devaswom Assistant Commissioner to investigate the incident.

The temple advisory committee has come forward with their response on the incident. Advisory committee president Sreejesh has responded that the complaint was filed with political motives and that a patriotic song was sung. Prathin of Kottukkal filed a complaint against the ganamela. Temple advisory committee vice president Akhil Sasi has also filed a complaint against the installation of RSS festoons in the temple premises.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said action should be taken against the guilty. The opposition leader also pointed that the high court verdict was violated. Satheesan demanded that the government and the board take immediate action.

The members of the ganamela team explained that they sang Gana Geetham as per the request of the people. The ganamela was sponsored by a group called Team Chhatrapati from Kottukkal. The ganamela troupe authorities said that they had already directed them to sing this song. They demanded to sing two songs related to the RSS. However, they replied that they did not know one of them. The program was presented by the music troupe called Nagercoil Birds.

A similar incident took place at the Kadakkal Devi Temple in Kollam last month. Singer Aloshi singing a CPM song at the ganamela organized as part of the temple festival had also stoked a controversy. Complaints were raised after the video of the ganamela went viral on social media. The police have registered a case against singer Aloshi and the organizers in the incident.