Former Kerala Congress MLA Charged for Destroying Road Divider in Thrissur Temple Access Dispute

Former Congress MLA Anil Akkara has been charged by police for allegedly damaging a road divider in Kerala's Thrissur district on Friday.

The police case was initiated after EKK Infrastructure, the contractor handling the PWD's road improvement project, filed a formal complaint. According to the official FIR, the incident resulted in damages amounting to Rs 19,160 and was deliberately carried out to destroy public property.

The controversy erupted when the Public Works Department closed a U-turn on the Thrissur-Kuttippuram State Highway near the Muthuvara Sri Mahadeva Temple as part of ongoing road redevelopment efforts.

Due to the closure, vehicles traveling from Thrissur must now continue further to make a U-turn to access the temple. Officials explained that the divider installation was necessary to prevent vehicles from deviating from the designated route.

Akkara reportedly arrived at the location, seized a hammer from construction workers, and proceeded to demolish the newly installed divider in an act of protest. He justified his actions by stating that the construction was causing significant inconvenience to devotees trying to reach the temple from Thrissur.

In response to the incident, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) strongly condemned Akkara's behavior, claiming he acted out of "political vengeance" rather than genuine concern.