DYFI under fire over pork challenge for Wayanad survivors

An Islamic scholar, belonging to an influential Muslim body, has come out against the Democratic Youth Federation of India, which organised a pork challenge as part of its numerous fund-raising events in Kerala to help the government in the rehabilitation efforts for the recent Wayanad landslides.

Nasar Faizy Koodathai, a prominent leader of Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyathul Qutba Committee, criticised the pork challenge of Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist in Kerala and said the Left organisation was trying to sneak in blasphemy in the name of 'challenge'.

The DYFI has been organising numerous challenges and festivals across the state as part of its various fund-raising events to help the rehabilitation efforts for the survivors of the devastating landslides in Wayanad district on July 30.

As part of it, the DYFI on Sunday organised a pork challenge at Kothamangalam.

DYFI Kothamangalam North local committee secretary Renjith told PTI that the challenge was a success and that they have sold 517 kg of pork at a rate of Rs 375 per kg.

"We have been organising numerous challenges and festivals to raise money for the Wayanad survivors. No one created any issues here in the name of selling pork. There is a huge market for pork here and we have decided to go for this challenge after considering all these factors," he said.

Koodathayi, in a Facebook post on Saturday, claimed that many of the survivors consider pork eating as a taboo but DYFI was using it as a challenge to insult the survivors.

DYFI state secretary VK Sanoj on Sunday referring to Koodathayi's statement, said such people are turning out to be another voice of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

"Kerala will understand this. Did we force anyone to buy pork or beef? Why are they concerned about just the pork challenge? This is because of their communal political agenda. The Kerala society will clearly understand such communal elements," Sanoj said.

The DYFI has been organising numerous challenges to raise fund for the Wayanad rehabilitation efforts.

Each local committee organises various such fund-raising events including biriyani challenge, fish challenge, scrap challenge among many others.

In the scrap challenge, the DYFI workers go to every household in the locality and collect scrap and sell it to raise funds. Similarly, in the areas where there is a market for fish, the DYFI sells fish.

However, no other political party has reacted to the comments of Koodathayi.