Senior BJP leader S Suresh on Sunday dismissed claims that AMMA president Shwetha Menon was serving as a proxy for the BJP within the actors' association, emphasising that her position was the result of an internal election by film fraternity members rather than an appointment by the party.

Speaking to the media, Suresh described Shwetha as "a nationalist" and an admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though he made it clear that she does not hold official membership in the BJP.

His statements came as a counter to accusations leveled by a group of actors on Saturday, who alleged that Shwetha Menon had received crores of rupees from the BJP in an effort to steer the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists toward a specific political agenda.

Suresh contended that there is a deliberate campaign to target and discredit entertainment industry figures who happen to sympathise with the BJP or its core ideology.

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"Anyone from the film or cultural sector who supports the BJP does so because they are inspired by the ideals upheld by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Such people should not be defamed through baseless allegations," he said.

Pointing to actor-turned-Union Minister Suresh Gopi, the BJP leader argued that Suresh Gopi had walked away from a highly profitable film career to commit himself to the party's nationalist vision.

"If Suresh Gopi had continued actively in films, he could have earned crores. He chose public life and stood with Modi and nationalism. There are many such examples in Kerala and across the country, and we will not allow them to be insulted," he said.

Regarding Shwetha Menon's leadership of AMMA, Suresh reiterated that the BJP has never sought to dominate or influence the artists' body.

"When CPM backed independent MP and late actor Innocent became AMMA president, or when current Congress MLA Ramesh Pisharody held a leadership role in the organisation, we never alleged that AMMA had been taken over by those parties," he said.

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Emphasising that AMMA is strictly a professional guild, Suresh stated that the film industry is fully equipped to handle its own domestic disputes. He took a swipe at critics he described as "politicians wearing the mask of cinema" for introducing external political angles.

The row gained traction following a Saturday press conference in Kochi where actor Mala Parvathy accused Menon of trying to push AMMA into a political orbit.

Mala Parvathy had highlighted a video interview featuring BJP leader Padmaja Menon, who allegedly discussed a potential ₹15 crore corporate donation from the Adani Group to AMMA, conditional on Shwetha Menon remaining at the helm.

Mala Parvathy stated that the film guild had no interest in receiving financial aid from multinational conglomerates and raised concerns over the political motivations behind the suggested funds.