The Shobha Yatra under the aegis of Sangh Parivar organisations to mark Sree Krishna Jayanti and rival processions under the auspices of cultural organisations affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) passed off peacefully here on Tuesday amid concerns about law and order.
The police were on high alert in view of the confrontational posturing by the Sangh Parivar and the CP(M) over the organisation of the rival pageantry, with the former accusing the latter of attempts to disrupt the annual Shobha Yatra and the latter alleging that the Shobha Yatras were being organised to instil communal hatred.
A large posse of police personnel was deployed to avert any showdown. The police also allotted separate areas and routes for holding the rival processions.
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Large turnout
The Shobha Yatra here started from near Sree Narayana Park and ended near South Bazar. Children attired as young Sree Krishna and Gopikas participated in the Shobha Yatras organised by the Balagokulam. The pageantry also included floats depicting stories in the Hindu mythology. There was a large turnout of people here to watch the Shobha Yatra.
The CPI(M)-backed rival processions were held in different parts of the district. The participants, including children carried placards with portraits of Gauri Lankesh, the journalist recently murdered in Bengaluru, and Nobel Prize winner Malala. At the procession held from Valapattanam to Pallikkulam, there were floats that depicted attacks on freedom of expression, among others.
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