Narrow-Minded and Uncivilised! Minister Slams Communal Remarks on Mohanlal's Sabarimala Offering
His comments came in the wake of a controversy that erupted after details of Mohanlal's offering for Mammootty's well-being during his pilgrimage on March 18 surfaced online.
Kerala Minority Welfare Minister V Abdurahiman criticised communal remarks made in response to actor Mohanlal's recent offering at Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple on behalf of actor Mammootty.
Abdurahiman denounced individuals spreading communal discord, calling their statements narrow-minded and uncivilised, and demanded a public apology from those responsible.
His comments came in the wake of a controversy that erupted after details of Mohanlal's offering for Mammootty's well-being during his pilgrimage on March 18 surfaced online, triggering backlash from some quarters claiming Mammootty's Muslim identity should preclude such gestures. This prompted a wave of support on social media for the actors, underscoring their enduring friendship.
During the “Usha puja” on March 18, Mohanlal submitted a note to the temple priest mentioning Mammootty’s birth name, Muhammed Kutty, and his birth star, Vishakham. A receipt from the Devaswom office confirming this later went viral.
Mohanlal downplayed the controversy surrounding Mammootty’s name being included in a puja at Sabarimala. Speaking to NDTV in Mumbai, he said he had also submitted Mammootty’s name and star, along with his own family’s.
In his statement on Thursday, Abdurahiman emphasised Kerala's commitment to secularism and condemned any attempts to undermine it. He urged religious scholars to reject such divisive rhetoric, warning that such controversies only fuel communal polarization in Kerala's society.
"These statements aim to malign a particular religion and must be vehemently opposed," Abdurahiman asserted, highlighting recent incidents where religious leaders criticized ordinary activities like a mother's trip with her children to Munnar and attempts to restrict student study tours.
His statement echoes the sentiment of veteran film lyricist and screenplay writer Javed Akhtar who also defended actors Mammootty and Mohanlal’s friendship amid the controversy. He called their bond as being beyond the understanding of “small, narrow-minded, petty and negative people.”
Actor Mohanlal’s latest film ‘L2: Empuraan’ hit theatres on Thursday.
