NEW DELHI: A musical performance featuring the RSS’s “gana geetham” (prayer song) at a temple in Kottukkal, under the management of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), has sparked controversy, with the opposition Congress demanding strict action against those responsible.
The performance was delivered by a professional music troupe during a gana mela (musical fest) held in the early hours of Sunday as part of the temple’s festival celebrations. According to PTI, police also received complaints alleging that RSS flags were displayed within the temple premises in connection with the event.
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan condemned the incident, calling it “a matter of grave concern.” He pointed to a High Court directive that prohibits political activity on temple grounds and urged the TDB to take decisive action. “Temples belong to devotees. Politicising religious spaces reflects a narrow-minded approach,” he said.
The Kadakkal police confirmed receiving a formal complaint from a member of the temple’s advisory committee but stated that no case had been registered as of yet.
This latest controversy comes shortly after another incident in the same police jurisdiction, where revolutionary songs allegedly praising the CPM were performed during a separate temple festival. The back-to-back episodes have intensified public debate over the growing politicisation of religious spaces in the region.
