Daijiworld Media Network - Palakkad
Palakkad, May 23: A woman BJP leader from Kerala has lodged a formal complaint against popular rapper Hirandas Murali, known by his stage name Vedan, accusing him of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promoting caste-based divisions through his music.
VS Minimol, a municipal councillor and development committee chairperson at Palakkad Municipality, has submitted her complaint to the Union home ministry and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). She alleged that one of Vedan’s songs contains disrespectful remarks targeting the Prime Minister and inflammatory language that seeks to divide the Hindu community along caste
lines.
"The artist has made unsubstantiated, disrespectful, and offensive remarks about the Prime Minister, which not only malign his personal and political image but also undermine the dignity of the highest constitutional office," Minimol stated in her complaint, according to a PTI report.
Minimol also cited Vedan’s recent arrest on April 28 in a drug-related case in Tripunithura near Kochi. Though the rapper is currently out on bail, the BJP leader alleged that he continues to perform at large concerts where he ‘incites violence and hatred.’
She urged authorities to invoke multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code including those dealing with defamation, promoting enmity between groups, and public mischief. She also called for applicable action under the Information Technology Act.
The controversy adds to the rising criticism of Vedan by Hindu Aikyavedi leader KP Sasikala, who recently slammed the rapper's public performances. Addressing an event in Palakkad, Sasikala alleged that society was being “humiliated” by Vedan’s “improperly dressed antics” and questioned the relevance of rap music to the SC/ST community.
Vedan responded by calling Sasikala’s remarks casteist and part of a larger narrative to label him as ‘an extremist, a separatist, or a troublemaker.’ He said her comments reflected an unwillingness to see people from marginalised communities explore new forms of expression.
There has been no official response from Vedan or his representatives to the BJP leader’s complaint so far.