THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Youth leaders of the Congress on Tuesday launched a social media campaign against Kerala Chalachitra Academy (KCA) chairman Kamal over the film director’s controversial letter to Culture Minister A K Balan urging him to regularise four contract employees of the KCA. The hashtag, #shameonyou- Kamal, was started by KPCC vice-president P C Vishnunadh and Youth Congress state vice-president and MLA K S Sabarinadhan on social media and was picked up by several Congress leaders. Kamal remained incommunicado following the controversy.
Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had released Kamal’s letter in the assembly on Tuesday. In his Facebook post, Vishnunadh took a jibe at Kamal citing that the job of the Public Service Commission (PSC) will be made easier if all government institutions take a leaf out of the film director’s book by accommodating Leftleaning people.
“Society should react to this as lakhs of youths who are waiting for a call letter from PSC are being cheated,” he said. Going a step further, Sabarinadhan in his Facebook post said though Kamal’s films reflected humanitarian values, in real life the values had been thrown to the wind by regularising Left followers in the KCA.
“The manner in which Kamal wrote the letter should be viewed seriously. He says the four employees are followers of the Left and the Left progressive movement and are active in the cultural milieu. He says the move will help KCA showcase its Left leanings. A cultural leader like Kamal is a disgrace to the state at a time when a youth Anu committed suicide for not having a j o b and when lakhs of jobless youths are wandering the streets,” he said. Congress leader and former minister Pandalam Sudhakaran said Kamal should realise that KCA is not his private possession. “It is deplorable that Kamal stooped to the level of a party slave,” he said.
Yuva Morcha burns Kamal in effigy
T’Puram: Yuva Morcha activists took out a march to the Secretariat and burnt Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal in effigy in protest against his letter. BJP district treasurer Nishanth Sugunan said Kamal had violated Constitutional principles and should step down from his post.