Parties turn to violence when ideologies fail: Actor Sreenivasan slams Kerala political murders

Malayalam actor Sreenivasan, who has never shied away from criticising the powers that be in Kerala, has spoken out against the growing number of political killings in the state.

Addressing students at a seminar in a Thiruvananthapuram college, Sreenivasan said that political parties resort to murders when their political ideologies fail.

Stating that many politicians see politics as a means of minting money, the actor asserted that he had no intentions of getting into politics, though he had been approached by several political parties.

“For most parties, finishing off their rivals is only a means of shielding their own party members. These are all the result of not imparting proper education,” Sreenivasan said.

Hinting at the increasing number of political killings in the state in the recent past and the CM’s perceived lack of interest in addressing them, the actor said,

“People who were democratically elected have now become autocratic leaders. I no longer have any faith in that kind of politics.” 

Sreenivasan’s  comments come in the wake of a recent murder of a BJP worker from Kannur, allegedly by CPI (M) workers. The murder had sparked outrage in the district, with the BJP observing a dawn-to-dusk hartal on Thursday. 

Sreenivasan, who is also a celebrated director-cum scriptwriter, has been both appreciated and criticised for his many public comments in recent times.

In October last year, Sreenivasan had criticised the practice of organ donation, terming it as a money-making business by hospitals. Most of the patients who have received organs were not alive, and it was the drug mafia that benefited out of it, he had said. 

Days after this comment, Mathew Achadan, who had undergone an organ transplant and was leading a normal life, lashed out at the actor for his "ignorance." Sreenivasan then put an end to the controversy by apologising for his statement.

Sreenivasan has also publicly come out in support of Vigilance Chief Jacob Thomas when the anti-corruption crusader had faced corruption allegations, and he has never hidden his adoration for the officer. Extending his unconditional support to Jacob Thomas, Srreenivasan said, “Some people are taken aback at seeing an officer who heads a department faithfully do his work, without being influenced by any forces. Generally, most officers are not so."