Filmstar's remark stirs up controversy

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam matinee idol Mammootty has landed himself in a spot after a remark he made at the national conference of the Democratic Youth Front of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India Marxist at Chennai.

The filmstar had stated that the Gujarat riots would not have happened if the DYFI were present in Gujarat.

Reacting to the actor's statement, Yuva Morcha state president K. Surendran said the statement was nothing but "pure nonsense".

Absurd

Surendran said Mammootty was an actor who was well acknowledged beyond the considerations of caste, religion or politics, adding that if the actor were to forget that and make such statements the people of Kerala would only take it as an absurd remark. Surendran said, "Even if Mammootty were to forget the incidents of farmers in Singur and Nandigram being shot at, the people of Kerala would not forget it."

Even as Mammootty faced flak from the Yuva Morcha, the Youth Congress sought to drag the actor into the sticky issue of land grab in Munnar. In the context of the evictions being effected in Munnar, Youth Congress state president T. Siddique demanded that Mammootty clarify whether he or his relatives have any connection with the encroachments in Munnar. Mammootty, a national best actor award winner, has not been known to court controversy and has so far steered clear of the allegations hurled at him.