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Updated - October 29, 2026 04:14 pm IST - KANNUR
Mammootty | Photo Credit: special arrangement
CPI(M) State Secretariat member P. Jayarajan has condemned the online attacks targeting actor Mammootty and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders who recently visited him, stating that the controversy linked to the Wayanad township visit had been “settled amicably long ago.”
In a social media post, Mr. Jayarajan said the attempt to revive “an old misunderstanding” and use it to abuse and target the actor was driven by vested interests. He maintained that the issue involving Mammootty and CPI(M) Wayanad district secretary K. Rafeeq had been resolved through discussions at the time and that their friendship was well known to the public.
“Mammootty does not belong within the confines of any single political party but is a public figure cherished by people across Keralam. His interactions and friendship should not be judged through political divisions,” Mr. Jayarajan said.
He also defended the DYFI and SFI leaders who visited Mammootty at his invitation, saying that turning the meeting into a controversy reflected a narrow political outlook.
Mr. Jayarajan noted that the student and youth organisations had “earned recognition at the national level through their struggles for democracy and against saffronisation”, and described Mammootty’s willingness to meet their leaders as a recognition of their work.
The controversy had erupted after Mammootty, in March 2026, visited the Wayanad Model Township built for survivors of the 2024 Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides. During the visit, a video purportedly showed the actor asking Mr. Rafeeq not to remain beside him as people might assume that the visit was organised on behalf of the party.
The footage triggered a wave of criticism on social media, with some Left-leaning accounts targeting the actor. Mr. Rafeeq subsequently clarified that Mammootty had contacted him personally to explain his remarks and appealed to people to end the controversy.
Mr. Jayarajan said that launching personal attacks while claiming to represent the Left was “contrary to Left politics.” He cautioned against attempts to create misunderstandings and provide political opponents with opportunities to exploit the situation.
Emphasising the Left’s cultural values, Mr. Jayarajan said that respecting art and standing by artists were integral to communist culture. He urged those misled by false campaigns to withdraw from them and called for an end to the online attacks against the actor.
Published - October 29, 2026 04:12 pm IST
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