Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA V. Joy at a beef festival organized at Manaveeyam Veedhi in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to protest against the film Kerala Story 2.
Even as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) criticized the upcoming film Kerala Story 2 as an attempt to deepen communal divisions, the party opposed the “beef festival” mode of protest adopted by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) against the film.
IUML state general secretary PMA Salam on Sunday alleged that the “provocative” protests were a “cheap political ploy” by the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to woo Muslim voters in the upcoming elections.
The SFI organized a ‘beef fest’ at Manaveeyam Veedhi in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to protest the film, whose trailer shows a character being force-fed beef. CPI(M) leaders also joined the protest in solidarity. The trailer sparked a wave of criticism and memes on online platforms, mocking the filmmakers for not having a clue about the state or its social situation.
Mr Salam said it was wrong to associate beef consumption with the Muslim community. He also alleged that some figures 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 stated that no one forced those who did not consume beef to do so.
Earlier, Muslim Students Federation (MSF) general secretary CK Najaf also raised objections to the SFI’s ‘beef festival’ protests, saying it could hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees who shunned beef for religious reasons. He called for constructive protests without offending different sections of society.
Published – 22 Feb 2026 20:16 IST
