Former Director General of Police R. Sreelekha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Sasthamangalam ward in Thiruvananthapuram, engaged Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretary, V. Joy, MLA, in a seemingly light-hearted political tit-for-tat.
Mr. Joy had recently taken a dig at Ms. Sreelekha’s candidacy, musing openly on the usefulness of a “former top-ranking officer who spent most of her official life shielded by police officers” obligated to respond to ward-level civic exigencies, such as “disposing of a dead stray”.
The CPI(M) legislator from Varkala suggested that top officers who spent the better part of their working lives in the ivory tower of bureaucracy were ill-suited to understand and respond to the travails and tribulations of ordinary persons.
Ms. Sreelekha attributed Mr. Joy’s remark to “fear of failure at the hustings”.
She disputed the CPI(M)’s insinuation that she was far removed from the issues plaguing ordinary families.
“I headed the Fire and Rescue department during the COVID-19 outbreak. I joined volunteers and officers in cleaning neighbourhoods and supporting civic society. As Director of Prisons, I changed the gloomy atmosphere of penitentiaries to that of reform-oriented correctional homes,” she said.
Kuthiyottam controversy
When asked whether she still stuck to her controversial position that the “Kuthiyottam” ritual at Attukal Devi Temple was a child rights violation, Ms. Sreelekha appeared to dig her heels in on the issue.
“I do not seek to challenge the temple’s tradition. That said, the Kuthiyottam involves piercing the skin of children with sharp, miniature hooks. It’s an objectionable practice that has drawn censure from the High Court, which found it violated the rights of children and the Juvenile Justice Act. Kodungalloor temple altered course and made the piercing act symbolic”, she said.
Published – November 11, 2025 04:28 pm IST
