A Christmas crib set up at the Government Boys School in Thathamangalam, Kerala’s Palakkad district, was found vandalized on Monday, intensifying concerns over communal tensions in the region. The incident occurred just days after three Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders were arrested for disrupting Christmas celebrations at another school in the district. The school authorities have lodged a complaint with the Chittur police station, prompting local outrage and demands for strict action.

The earlier incident took place at Nallepilly Government Upper Primary School on Friday, where students and teachers were celebrating Christmas after their semester exams. VHP leaders, including Palakkad district secretary K Anil Kumar, allegedly entered the school premises, disrupted the event, and questioned why Sree Krishna Jayanti was not celebrated in the school. Following verbal threats to teachers, the accused were arrested on charges of promoting enmity between religious groups, criminal trespass, and intimidation. They were remanded to judicial custody by a local court on Saturday. The disruption led to protests by members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Youth Congress, who dressed as Santa Claus and sang carols to show solidarity with the affected schools.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured a thorough investigation into the vandalism of the Christmas crib by a special task force. He emphasized that Kerala remains committed to secularism and will not tolerate hate crimes aimed at communal discord. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian has also condemned the incidents, urging stringent action to prevent such disruptions in the future. As the investigation unfolds, the repeated targeting of Christmas celebrations has raised concerns over rising intolerance, prompting calls for greater vigilance and stronger legal deterrents.