Yuva Morcha (BJP youth wing) activists in Kerala performed a purification ritual on Thursday to ‘rid Indian culture of pests’, referring to their current bête-noir director Kamal who had earned the party’s ire for terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘man-eater.'
The activists conducted a purification ritual at the Kodungallur Ground in Thrissur, which had served as the venue for a solidarity meet held the previous day in support of the film-maker.
Kamal’s earlier run-in with the Sangh Parivar over the playing of the national anthem in theatres during the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) last December had already earned him the tag of an ‘anti-national’.
Armed with cow-dung-mixed water and brooms, they first sprinkled the ground with the ‘holy’ water and later cleaned the area. The Kodungallur police has registered a case under section 153 of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups) against 15 Yuva Morcha activists.
The accused however maintain there is nothing unconstitutional about the protest. Speaking to The News Minute, Kodungallur Mandalam president M Sivaram says that the protest was conducted in a peaceful manner, and in complete harmony with Indian culture:
“As far as we are concerned, Kamal is an anti-national. The protest is against his insult of the national anthem. As part of our Indian culture, purification rituals are done to cleanse an area of all pests. That is exactly what we did.”
He went on to accuse the Kodungallur Film Society -of which Kamal is a member- to have always been a part of ‘such matters’:
“They had once screened a Turkish film that showed India’s map without Kashmir. Only Maoists support such stuff.”
According to Sivaram, the protest was also directed at the left parties including CPI(M) as well as the National Democratic Front (a Muslim organisation) in Kerala that have been trying to drum up support for Kamal so as to isolate the Right Wing.
While Kodungallur police say around 30-odd activists had participated in the protest, Gopi -Yuva Morcha Thrissur district president- claim that there were not less than 100 present.
