Thiruvananthapuram | Malayalam Actors' body AMMA president Shwetha Menon on Sunday rejected allegations of communal polarisation and financial irregularities levelled against her by a group of fellow actors and asserted that her fight was against a "power group" within the organisation.

In a detailed Facebook post, Menon alleged that she had unearthed financial irregularities in welfare funds meant for financially struggling members of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and claimed that attempts to discredit and intimidate her began after she questioned the irregularities.

She said AMMA was home to several actors who did not have a steady income and depended on the organisation for medical treatment, medicines and basic livelihood.

The funds for such welfare activities were raised through sponsored programmes in which leading stars, including Mohanlal and Mammootty, participated by contributing their time and effort, she said.

"We have never looked at whether the money comes from a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, temple, church, Ambani or Adani. We have accepted help from everyone with the same mindset because it is meant for the welfare of our members," Menon said.

She, however, alleged that some former office bearers had earlier committed financial irregularities involving funds earmarked for the treatment, medicines and welfare of AMMA members.

"The attempts to humiliate me began the day I started questioning those financial irregularities. There was even an attempt to physically attack me during the general body meeting. That was when I started thinking about stepping down from AMMA," she alleged.

Menon said it was impossible for "an ordinary woman" to single-handedly take on the "power group" in the Malayalam film industry and claimed that the attacks she had faced ever since contesting the AMMA presidential election reflected that reality.

She maintained that her struggle was never for any post or personal gain but only against those responsible for alleged financial irregularities and wrongdoing within the organisation.

"No matter how many false stories are spread about me or how much I am humiliated, I will not step back from this fight. Even if I lose, it does not matter because this struggle has already exposed the power group before AMMA members. That itself is my biggest victory," she said.

Menon's Facebook post came a day after the crisis in AMMA escalated, with actors Mala Parvathy, Ansiba Hassan, Usha Haseena and Maya Viswanath levelling fresh allegations against her at a joint press conference in Kochi.

An Ernakulam court on Friday stayed the functioning of the ad hoc committee constituted to manage AMMA after the association's general body removed the previous executive committee.

The stay was granted on a petition filed by Menon, who contended that the formation of the ad hoc committee violated the association's bylaws. The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 13.

During AMMA's general body meeting on June 21, members had decided to remove the existing executive committee, citing alleged irregularities, and appointed an ad hoc committee headed by actor Ramesh Pisharody to manage the organisation until fresh elections.

In her plea, Menon argued that under the association's bylaws, the existing executive committee should continue in office until a new committee is elected, though several members of her executive committee had resigned following the general body meeting.