THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOCHI: The BJP on Sunday responded to the controversy surrounding the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and allegations that its president, Shwetha Menon, accepted Rs 2 crore from the party to provide candidates for elections, saying members of the film industry should refrain from making such remarks.
Rejecting the allegation, BJP state general secretary S Suresh said the party was not in such a “pathetic state” that it had to purchase candidates from the film industry.
“Shwetha Menon is a nationalist and an admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But she did not become AMMA president because of this. She was elected by respected members of the Malayalam film industry,” Suresh told reporters at the party headquarters here.
He said several actors, including Union minister Suresh Gopi, had joined BJP because of their nationalist outlook and support for the party’s ideology. Allegations of “glittering offers” made by some actors and sections of the media with vested interests were an insult to film personalities, he added.
Suresh also dismissed suggestions that the BJP was trying to influence AMMA. “When actor Innocent, who was a CPM Lok Sabha MP, headed AMMA, we did not claim that the Left had taken over the organisation. Likewise, we did not allege Congress control when MLA Ramesh Pisharody became chairman of its ad hoc committee,” he said.
He said the BJP had maintained restraint and not commented on controversies in the Malayalam film industry as they were not political issues. However, he warned that if the party was forced to respond, “many masks will be torn apart”.
Referring to allegations involving the film industry, Suresh mentioned issues such as sexual assault, drug abuse and alleged anti-national activities, adding that the industry itself had capable people to address such matters.
Fight against power group: Shwetha
Meanwhile, Shwetha, on Sunday, said that her fight was against the ‘power group’ in Malayalam cinema.
“One can understand that an ordinary woman can never single-handedly confront that ‘power group’ in Malayalam cinema by looking at the list of attacks I have faced from the day I contested for the post of AMMA president until now,” she said in a Facebook post.
Her post comes a day after women members alleged that the executive committee was attempting to communally polarise the association and impose the BJP’s agenda on the organisation.
Alleging financial discrepancies within the association, Shwetha said that she had questioned irregularities in financial management and that there was even an attempt to physically assault her during the general body meeting held on June 21 when she raised questions.
“It was in that context that I considered withdrawing from AMMA. Even Lalettan [Mohanlal] resigned from the post of AMMA president, didn’t he? Didn’t he even wonder why he should bear the brunt of the bad reputation caused by the irregularities and fraud committed by these accused individuals?” she asked.
Responding to the allegations raised by women members, she said the association has welcomed everyone who stepped forward to help. “It is to raise funds that Lalettan, Mammookka, and other leading stars dedicate their time and effort to participate in AMMA’s fundraising programmes. We don’t consider whether the funds came from a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, temple, mosque, Ambani, or Adani,” she added.
‘Bid to assault’
Alleging financial discrepancies within AMMA, Shwetha said that she had questioned irregularities in financial management and that there was even an attempt to physically assault her during the general body meeting held on June 21 when she raised questions
