A procession in Kerala's Palakkad district displaying images of Hamas leaders during an annual cultural fest drew sharp criticism on the social media.
The banners, carried atop elephants by a group of youths, were part of the "Thrithala Fest" in Thrithala, Palakkad, on Sunday evening.
The display of the images led to heated discussions on the social media, with some alleging the event was linked to a religious festival and many questioning the organisers for allowing such banners.
The participation of minister MB Rajesh, who is also the MLA from Thrithala, and Congress leader and former MLA VT Balram has further fuelled the debate.
However, a person, who is part of the organising committee and wishes to remain anonymous, accused a section of young people of attempting to trigger a communal issue over the procession, which is in no way connected to a religious festival.
In a Facebook post, Congress leader Balram criticised a section of the media for allegedly using the controversy surrounding the Thrithala Fest to target the Muslim community and Kerala, even at the national level.
He stated that all Indians who are not affiliated with the Sangh Parivar support the Palestinian people and their aspirations for independence.
The Congress leader said that whether Hamas leaders should be glorified is a separate issue but condemned the Sangh Parivar for allegedly using the matter as part of an anti-Muslim hate campaign.
"Thrithala will stand united against such divisive attempts," he wrote.
Clarifying the nature of the festival, he stated that 'Thrithala Fest' is an annual public celebration of the region, not a religious event linked to any mosque or place of worship. -- PTI
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