A Christmas crib set up at the Government Boys School in Thathamangalam, Palakkad, was found vandalized by unidentified miscreants on Monday. The authorities at the Government Boys UP School in Chenthamara Nagar filed a complaint with the Chittur police station.
The vandalism follows an incident on Friday, when three individuals, including two Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders and a Bajrang Dal activist, were arrested for attempting to disrupt Christmas celebrations at a school in Nallepilly, Palakkad.
According to local residents, the Christmas crib had been installed at the school on Friday as part of the festivities. Teachers discovered the damage on Monday morning. “It seems the decorations were pulled out using a long stick or possibly a coconut frond inserted through the locked school gate. There were also signs of an attempt to break the lock,” a resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, the local MLA, visited the school and expressed concern over the incident. He suggested that the act may have been premeditated. Minister Krishnankutty also mentioned that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assured a thorough investigation by a special team and promised stringent action against those responsible.
