Images of Hamas leaders at Kerala cultural fest in Palakkad spark controversy

Palakkad: A cultural festival in Kerala's Palakkad district has sparked a political and social media storm after images of Hamas leaders were displayed during a procession. The event, part of the "Thrithala Fest" held in Thrithala on Sunday evening, saw young participants carrying banners atop elephants featuring images of key Hamas figures.

The incident quickly gained attention on social media, with users questioning the organisers' decision to allow such banners. Some claimed the event was linked to a religious festival, while others criticised it as an attempt to politicise an otherwise public celebration.

Adding to the controversy was the participation of Congress leader and former MLA VT Balram, who took to Facebook to address the issue. Balram accused certain media outlets of exploiting the incident to target Kerala and the Muslim community on a national level. He stated that while the question of glorifying Hamas leaders was open for discussion, the larger concern was what he called a politically motivated campaign by the Sangh Parivar to spread anti-Muslim sentiment. "Thrithala will stand united against such divisive attempts," he wrote.

Balram also clarified that the Thrithala Fest is an annual public event with no religious affiliations. According to him, the festival’s organising committee includes representatives from diverse religious and political backgrounds, with leaders from multiple parties regularly attending. He pointed out that a festival supplement had carried congratulatory messages from Kerala Minister M B Rajesh, MP Abdusamad Samadani, himself, and even the local BJP constituency president, reinforcing the event's inclusive nature.

On the other hand, the BJP has taken a firm stance against the display of Hamas imagery. BJP state president K Surendran called the incident "shocking" and accused both the ruling Left government and the Congress opposition of appeasement politics. He further alleged that this was not the first time Kerala had witnessed such incidents, recalling a past event where a Hamas leader had allegedly addressed a gathering in the state.

In response, Kerala police confirmed that the incident took place within the Thrithala police station limits but stated that no official complaints had been received as of Monday. Consequently, no case has been registered.