''Revolutionary songs'' in temple festival: Singer reiterates he was catering to audience requests

Kollam(Kerala) | Singer Aloshi Adams, against whom a case has been registered for singing "revolutionary songs" glorifying the CPI(M) during a recent temple festival in the district, reiterated on Friday that he was only catering to the audience requests and said that there was no need to create a controversy over it.

Adams is the first accused in the case along with two others who are not named in the FIR, but are stated to be members of the temple advisory committee.

Speaking to a TV channel, the singer said he was not aware of the details of the case as he came to know about the registration of an FIR through media reports "As I said earlier, the songs were sung on audience request. I have sung revolutionary songs at temple events in the past also," he said.

He also said that there were no directions from anyone among the festival organisers on what kinds of songs were to be sung and which were to be avoided.

Adams said the development was "unexpected", but he has no other option but to face it legally.

Meanwhile, the petitioner - Vishnu Sunil, who had moved the Kerala High Court seeking action regarding the singing of revolutionary songs during the Kadakkal Temple festival on March 10, said that he was dissatisfied with the step taken by the police.

Sunil said that besides moving the High Court, he had also given a complaint to the Kadakkal police for taking action.

He said that the FIR was filed under the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act and as per its provisions, the persons responsible for managing the temple activities are liable for such incidents.

"Therefore, the president and members of the temple advisory committee, which organised the festival, Devaswom Assistant Commissioner and Sub Group officer should have been made the first accused.

"However, as part of an agenda to weaken the case, the singer was made the first accused. His songs were in violation of the earlier High Court orders, but the first accused ought to have been the Devaswom Assistant Commissioner or the temple advisory committee president," he told a TV channel.

He said that he has given a complaint to the DGP of Kerala to include the temple advisory committee members and the Devaswom officials as accused in the case.

The controversy arose during the Kadakkal Temple festival when Adams performed "revolutionary songs", including one about the late CPI(M) worker Puthukudi Pushpan, a survivor of the 1994 Koothuparamba police firing.

During the programme, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and CPI(M) flags and symbols were displayed in the background, prompting legal action.

Police stated that displaying DYFI and CPI(M) flags and symbols, along with singing "revolutionary songs", violated rules prohibiting the use of political symbols and ideologies in temple festivals.

According to the FIR, the first accused, Aloshi, chanted slogans such as "Inquilab Zindabad, DYFI Zindabad, and CPI(M) Zindabad," while the other accused facilitated the act.

After the incident sparked a controversy, with severe criticism from the Congress-led UDF, the TDB has ordered a vigilance probe.