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New Delhi: In a disturbing incident reflecting the deteriorating condition of minorities and shrinking space for free expression in India, a senior Kerala-based leader has branded a Muslim journalist a \u201cterrorist,\u201d drawing strong condemnation from political parties, journalist bodies and minority groups.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan labeled Reporter TV journalist Rahees Rasheed an \u201cextremist\u201d during a press conference, following an earlier incident in which he pushed away the journalist\u2019s microphone after being questioned about educational institutions allotted to SNDP under the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Natesan attempted to justify his remark by citing Rasheed\u2019s past association with the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), but failed to produce any evidence linking the journalist to extremist activity.<\/p>\n
The comments triggered widespread condemnation. Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of using Natesan as a \u201cmouthpiece\u201d to promote communal polarisation, alleging the remarks were aimed at dividing society ahead of upcoming elections. Congress leader T. Siddique denounced the labeling of a journalist on the basis of his name, calling it a dangerous and discriminatory act.<\/p>\n
MSF state president P.K. Navas likened Natesan\u2019s remarks to the Islamophobic rhetoric of the Sangh Parivar, questioning the silence of the Kerala government and warning that such narratives legitimise hatred against Muslims. He said branding Muslims as extremists without evidence has become a common tactic to silence dissenting voices. Journalist bodies also reacted strongly. The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) termed the remarks a direct attack on press freedom and demanded immediate action against those maligning journalists to suppress critical questioning.<\/p>\n
Observers say the episode underscores growing intolerance, communal targeting and intimidation of journalists in India, where Muslims increasingly face vilification in political discourse. The incident has also exposed internal strains within Kerala\u2019s ruling LDF following recent local body polls, while reinforcing concerns over the systematic marginalisation of minorities and erosion of democratic values in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New Delhi: In a disturbing incident reflecting the deteriorating condition of minorities and shrinking space for free expression in India, a senior Kerala-based leader has branded a Muslim journalist a \u201cterrorist,\u201d drawing strong condemnation from political parties, journalist bodies and minority groups. According to Kashmir Media Service, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":191798,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-191797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t