Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came down heavily on Sangh Parivar groups who protested against film director and Chalachithra academy Chairman Kamal over the National Anthem issue at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

Pinarayi said that BJP workers launch such protests to communalise issues and obtain political gains. He also said that Sangh groups constantly use the name Kamaludheen (Kamal’s full name) because they are intolerant.

“Kamal doesn’t need the Sangh Parivar’s conduct certificate. He doesn’t need to satisfy Sangh,” the CM said in a public function in Kozhikode.

Besides burning Kamal’s effigy, Yuva Morcha and BJP workers had marched in protest outside Kamal's house at Kodungallur in Thrissur. Kamal, Chairman and Festival Director of the International Film Festival (Kerala), had earned the ire of these groups for his comments on disallowing police inside IFFK.

Kamal had earlier said that the police would not be allowed to enter IFFK venues to check if people were standing up for the national anthem and make arrests.

Kamal had said this after six delegates at IFFK were arrested for disrespecting the national anthem. Later 11 more delegates were arrested from different IFFK venues.

The police had reportedly released all those arrested after giving them a warning.

The Sangh Parivar protestors had also vented their ire against the Kodungallur Film Society, of which Kamal is also a member, for filing a review petition in the Supreme Court against the apex court’s order to play the National Anthem before every showing in all theatres across the country.