Three Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders in Kerala have been arrested for trying to disrupt Christmas celebrations at a school in Palakkad. The incident happened on Friday, December 20. The three men barged into the Government Upper Primary School at Nallepilly in Chittoor village during Christmas celebrations. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered based on a complaint by the school’s headmaster Jayanthi.
The FIR states that around 1 pm, VHP Palakkad district secretary Anilkumar, district samyojak Susasanan and another person later identified as Nalleppilly panchayat president K Velayudan barged into the school premises with an intention to create disharmony among different religions and abused teachers and staff. The VHP members questioned the school as to why the school does not celebrate Sree Krishna Jayanti. “The accused tried to terrorise the students and stopped the teachers from carrying out their duty,” the FIR further states. According to reports, the men also objected to the teachers wearing the attire of Santa Claus.
The police have registered the case against the three accused under sections 329 (3) [criminal trespass], 296 (b) [obscene act], 351 (2) [criminal intimidation] and 132 [denying public servant from doing their duty] of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).