A cultural festival procession in Thrithala town Kerala’s Palakkad featured photos of slain Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, fuelling heated debate among political parties and on social media. On Sunday morning, banners bearing images of deceased Hamas leader Ismail Hanyeh and Yahyah Sinwar, and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, also deceased, were displayed by a group of people during a procession during Deshosavam, a local cultural festival.
BJP organized protest events across Palakkad while the party’s state unit demanded the state government act strongly, even as Congress alleged the saffron party was communalizing the issue. BJP approached the police with the complaint but a case is yet to be registered.
The procession featuring elephants ,performers and musical groups marked the final day of the week long festival in which people from all walks of life, regardless of faith and political affiliation, took part. Three separate boards featuring Hamas and Hezbollah men were displayed by individuals positioned on three elephants.
“During past festivals, boards featuring International leaders like Yaseen Arafat and Che Guevara were exhibited, reflecting the contemporary issues of those times. The latest boards correspond to the ongoing discussion on the Palestine- Israel conflict. The matter holds no communal significance. said festival committee president Mohammad Kopath, also a Congress worker.
Festival committee secretary KPS Srinivasan, a local CPM Neta said “the fest is a secular gathering. we notice the board only when the visuals went viral. It was done by one of the group and not with the committees consent”.
Local BJP worker Unnikrishnan Mezathoor alleged that a group of people with extremist links was behind the incident and Congress and CPM was supporting them in hope of votes in Muslim majority assembly segment.
BJP state president K. Sundravan has already demanded action against the organisers.
Congress functionary and former Thrithala MLA VT Balram said Sangh Parivar was using the issue for its anti- Muslim hate campaigns.