Kerala's political culture is infamously violent. The Left in particular is known to be vicious with its opponents, but that attitude seems to have permeated into every other party as well. A student who posted a video of a garbage-covered beach left behind by the Bharatiya Janata Party after its massive conclave in Kozhikode claims that he has received threats by right-wing activists.
Shameer Kazim, a 21-year-old journalism student, posted a video walking down the beach which was the site of the BJP's national executive meet, featuring all of its senior leaders from across the country and hundreds of top functionaries. The video shows the entire area strewn with litter. Kazim brought up Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swacch Bharat scheme to point out how much waste, including plastic, had been left behind by the BJP after the conclave.
Kazim himself claims that the beach was later cleaned by BJP workers and local officials, but after he posted his video, the reactions were not so measured. "BJP-RSS activists held a protest march in Shameer’s hometown Nilambur in Malappuram district, raising slogans and threatening to hack his arms and legs," the News Minute reported, quoting the student as saying his father heard slogans threatening to him harm.
The Times of India meanwhile, quoted the sub-inspector of Pookottumpadam police Amrith Rangan confirming that a protest had indeed taken place against Kazim in his hometown. Yet Rangan insisted that there hadn't been any slogans threatening Kazim, and instead it was a rally demanding "action" against the student for allegedly humiliating Modi by posting a morphed photo on Facebook.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!