In Kerala’s Kannur district, a political dispute erupted after Left activists disrupted a temple festival over a patriotic song associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Kannadiparamba Muthappan temple was hosting a musical show on January 19 when performers sang Parama Pavithramathamee Mannil Bharathambaye, a Malayalam patriotic song frequently performed at RSS events.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral, shows a group protesting the song and clashing with others while singers urged for peace. Reports indicate the protesting group is linked to the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), a Leftist youth organization. DYFI supporters said the song was part of an “RSS-backed agenda” to politicize temple events and criticized the festival committee for allowing such performances.
In an official statement, DYFI claimed including RSS songs in temple celebrations aimed to impose a communal ideology on religious spaces. They urged the public to be aware of such attempts and warned of protests against similar events in the future.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the disruption, calling it an attack on Hindu faith and traditions. Party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted on X, “Temple festivals are sacred religious and cultural spaces, not playgrounds for Leftist ideological policing.” He added that the incident highlighted the “deep-rooted intolerance of the Left ecosystem” toward Hindu traditions in Kerala.
While the song is widely recognized as an RSS group song, it is also performed at concerts and TV shows without political associations. The incident has sparked debates over political influence in religious events and raised questions about the role of ideology in Kerala’s cultural spaces.
