Tension broke out during a temple festival at the Kannadiparamba Sree Muthappan temple in Mayyil, Kannur district, after members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) objected to the singing of a song associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The incident occurred on the night of 19 January 2026 during a musical programme organised as part of the annual temple festival. While the singers were performing Parama Pavithramathamee Mannil Bharathambaye, a Malayalam patriotic song, a group of DYFI activists climbed onto the stage and demanded that the performance be stopped. The singers halted the song midway following the objections.
Soon after, RSS workers present at the venue intervened, leading to a scuffle between the two groups. Videos of the incident later circulated widely on social media, showing heated arguments at the venue as the singers appealed for calm.
DYFI activists alleged that the performance of the song was part of an “RSS-backed agenda” to politicise temple festivals. They also protested against the temple festival committee for allowing what they described as RSS songs to be performed during a religious event.
In a statement issued later, the DYFI Kannadiparamba East regional committee said that including RSS ganageethams in temple celebrations was aimed at advancing the organisation’s ideological agenda. The youth organisation urged the public to recognise what it termed attempts by communal forces to impose their ideology and warned of protests against similar moves in the future.
The song Parama Pavithramathamee Mannil Bharathambaye, which calls for reverence towards the nation, is widely recognised as an RSS ganageetham and is frequently sung at RSS events. However, it is also commonly performed at cultural programmes, concerts, and television shows without any explicit political context.
Following the disruption, the temple committee lodged a complaint with the police against the DYFI activists, alleging that they interfered with the conduct of the festival. Police said they were examining the complaint and reviewing video footage of the incident.
Source: Times of India
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