ThiruvananthapuramDecember 18, 2025 12:42 PM IST
First published on: Dec 18, 2025 at 12:42 PM IST
In the wake of its setback in the recent Kerala local body elections, in which the Sabarimala gold theft issue was seen to have played a role, the ruling CPI(M) has come out against a viral parody of a devotional song on Lord Ayyappa, alleging it hurts religious sentiments and demanded a criminal case be filed in the matter.
While senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan on Wednesday demanded action if the parody “had insulted the faithful”, several party leaders echoed his view. “We have seen how the Sabarimala prayer is being misused. If anyone has complained, the police should examine it seriously. The parody should not have been made. The Congress has tried to make political gains out of it,” said Raju Abraham, the CPI(M)’s Pathanamthitta district president. The Sabarimala temple is located in the district.
Abraham said the party is also planning to move the Election Commission (EC) over the issue. “The CPI(M) district committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the issue. The Congress and IUML have solicited votes in the name of religion and god, which is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),” he said.
The parody song, based on the devotional song “Swamiye Ayyapo”, was widely used by the Congress and the BJP during their campaign against the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the local body elections. Interestingly, the CPI(M) had not raised any objection to this parody song during the campaigning. The MPs from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) also sang it in front of Parliament on Monday during a protest demanding a CBI probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold theft.
The parody song makes references to the recent Sabarimala temple gold “theft” case, the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, and the CPI(M).
Story continues below this ad
On Tuesday, even as the Thirubharana Patha Samrakshana Samithi – a committee working towards protecting the route used to transport Lord Ayyappa’s ornaments during the annual festival – lodged a complaint with the state DGP, alleging that the parody insulted the deity, its chairman K Haridas said the song did not hurt religious sentiments and the complainant had no links to the committee.
The complainant Prasad Kuzhikkala has named the writer, composer and singer of the parody in his complaint. The song in question is penned by Qatar-based writer G P Kunhabdulla Chalappuram and was rendered by young singer Danish Muhammed of Malappuram.
Parodies are not uncommon in Kerala’s electioneering with all major parties using them during campaigns. This is also not the first time that parodies of devotional songs have been released in Kerala.
Accusing the CPI(M) of taking the debate over the song to “dangerous levels”, former Congress MLA V T Balram accused the ruling party of “highlighting the issue as blasphemy” only after the names of those associated with it became public.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal said the CPI(M) was going after people associated with the parody song instead of examining the reasons behind their loss in the local body polls.
Referring to a 2018 statement of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress camp also pointed to the “double standards” of the CPI(M) over its stand on freedom of expression.
Reacting to a case registered against Malayalam film director Omar Lulu by the Hyderabad police for “hurting Muslim sentiments through alleged “derogatory references” to the Prophet, Vijayan had then said, “This controversy reminds us of the reality that religious fundamentalists, whatever group they are from, hate all forms of art. They cannot tolerate the happiness and knowledge man would get from art forms and literature.”