Kerala DySP’s WhatsApp post on President’s Sabarimala visit sparks controversy

President Droupadi Murmu prays at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Pathanamthitta on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: PIB/ANI A WhatsApp status update briefly posted by Alathur DySP R. Manoj Kumar criticising President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Sabarimala in Kerala on Wednesday (October 22, 2025) has sparked a controversy, prompting District Police Chief Ajit Kumar to seek an explanation from the DySP. In his WhatsApp status message, the DySP claimed that the President had flagrantly violated Sabarimala customs, and that security personnel in uniform had abetted this breach of tradition. He also questioned why parties such as the Congress and the BJP had not performed a ‘nama japam’ in response to the alleged violation. The DySP also speculated on the consequences if Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or any of his Cabinet Ministers had done a similar act. Inadvertently shared, claims DySP Soon after the post sparked controversy, Mr. Kumar deleted it. He claimed that he had inadvertently shared a forwarded message while travelling on a train. District Police Chief said the post was a violation of the code of conduct, and that further action would be initiated after the DySP’s explanation. The BJP protested against the DySP. It is planning a march
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