Kerala Story 2: IUML takes a stand against SFI’s ‘beef festivals’

Even as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) criticised the upcoming movie Kerala Story 2 as an attempt at deepening communal divisions, the party has taken a stand against the ‘beef festival’ mode of protest adopted by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) against the film.

IUML State general secretary P.M.A. Salam on Sunday alleged that the “provocative” protests were a “cheap political gimmick” of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s student wing to attract Muslim voters in the upcoming elections.

The SFI had on Saturday organised a ‘beef fest’ on the Manaveeyam Veedhi in Thiruvananthapuram to protest against the film, the trailer of which shows a character being force-fed beef. CPI(M) leaders also joined the protest in solidarity. The trailer had evoked a wave of criticism and memes on online platforms, mocking the makers of the film for being clueless about the State or its social situation.

Mr. Salam said that it was wrong to link beef consumption to the Muslim community. He also alleged that some personalities associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were among those running beef exporting operations in the country. He further said that no one had forced those who did not consume beef to do so.

Earlier, Muslim Students Federation (MSF) general secretary C.K. Najaf had also raised objections to the SFI’s ‘beef festival’ protests, saying that it could hurt the sentiments of Hindu believers who avoided beef due to religious reasons. He called for constructive protests without offending various sections of society.