Thiruvananthapuram | Amidst reports of online attacks against Malayalam superstar Mammootty following his visit to the newly built township in Wayanad, senior leaders of the ruling CPI(M) on Sunday sought to play down the controversy.
The issue surfaced after Mammootty reportedly expressed displeasure towards the party's Wayanad district secretary K Rafeeq for accompanying him during his personal visit to the township on Saturday.
According to reports, the actor, generally considered a fellow traveller of the Marxist party, asked Rafeeq why he was standing close to him and said people might think he had come there for the ruling party.
Following this, the actor faced intense online attacks allegedly from Left-leaning social media handles.
CPI(M) leaders and Ministers P A Mohammed Riyas and P Rajeev responded to the development, but chose not to give any direct reply.
Speaking to a TV channel, Riyas said CPI(M) district secretaries do not go around intruding into places unnecessarily.
He said Rafeeq was a social activist who had actively participated in the relief and rehabilitation activities following the landslide in Wayanad and he went to the township on Saturday in that capacity.
Stating that Mammootty is a person who recognises such individuals cutting across politics, Riyas also said the actor had visited the township to independently understand the situation there.
Meanwhile, Minister Rajeev, while speaking to reporters in Kochi, praised Mammootty for visiting the township despite his busy schedule and said his visit has given further visibility to the government's township project for the landslide survivors.
However, Congress leader Cherian Philip alleged that the online attack by CPI(M) supporters against Mammootty on social media was "cruel".
In a statement, Philip said the attacks began after Mammootty stated that the township was constructed using public funds belonging to all sections of people in Kerala.
Philip also alleged that when the actor made a private visit to the township, some CPI(M) leaders attempted to turn it into a party publicity exercise, which led to the actor expressing displeasure.
The Congress leader also said Mammootty is a matter of pride for the people of Kerala and criticised attempts to target him politically.
Later in the day, Rafeeq came up with a Facebook post urging everyone to end debates and arguments related to the issue.
He said Mammootty called him personally and clarified these matters.
The CPI(M) leader said that when Mammootty arrived, he was present there in connection with another programme as a public worker.
He said he had intervened cautiously at that time to ensure that the crowd and commotion would not cause any inconvenience to the actor.
"As a public worker, it is always our practice to receive visitors who come to the township if we happen to be present there. However, I understood that he was pointing out that such actions could sometimes be interpreted differently," he said.
Rafeeq said the issue escalated after some media outlets and right-wing groups portrayed it in a personally insulting manner.
"I respect the good intentions of all those who reacted emotionally on this issue," he said.
However, he appealed to everyone not to allow such controversies to diminish the significance of the township project, which he said was built through the government's willpower, humanity and compassion and could serve as a model for the world.
He also requested that Mammootty's visit to the township be discussed only in a positive manner and that all controversies be brought to an end.
"Mammootty has personally clarified to me that he never intended to insult me," he said, urging everyone to end all debates and arguments related to the issue.
Mammootty on Saturday paid an unexpected visit to the newly built township for landslide survivors in this hill district and interacted with residents and officials there.
The actor visited a few completed houses in the township, inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week, and spoke to beneficiaries and other local people.
The 'Amaram' actor later said the township reflected the collective effort and compassion of the people of Kerala for those who had lost everything in the landslide disaster. What we see here is the compassion and social capital of the people of Kerala, he said.
Survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide got a fresh lease of life as the Kerala government handed over new homes to 178 families on March 1.
Chief Minister Vijayan inaugurated the first phase of the Wayanad Model Township constructed at Elton Estate here, marking the end of a long period of displacement for the families who had been living in rented and temporary accommodation.
As part of the first phase, 178 houses were handed over to families whose homes were completely destroyed in the July 30, 2024 disaster.
