Thiruvananthapuram, March 9 (IANS) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday publicly apologised to Malayalam cinema icon Mammootty after a controversy erupted over the actor’s interaction with CPI-M leaders during his visit to the Wayanad township project, followed by a wave of cyber attacks on social media.

Breaking his silence on the issue, the Chief Minister said Mammootty’s intervention during the visit had been made with “good intentions” and that the legendary actor should never have been subjected to ridicule or abuse.

“I publicly apologise to Mammootty if the incident caused him any mental distress. The great actor should have been understood better,” Vijayan said.

The controversy began after Mammootty, who had travelled from Chennai to visit the Wayanad township project without prior publicity, spoke privately to CPI-M Wayanad district secretary K. Rafeek during the visit.

The actor is learnt to have raised concerns that his visit could be misunderstood.

According to the Chief Minister, Mammootty chose to convey his views discreetly to the party leader as he feared that a public remark could be misinterpreted and trigger unnecessary controversy.

“It was an unannounced visit and the actor had come with genuine concern. He spoke privately with the district secretary in that spirit,” Vijayan said.

However, the conversation soon found its way into the public domain after it was captured on camera and circulated online, sparking a heated political debate and triggering social media attacks against the actor.

Describing the episode as unfortunate, the Chief Minister said some people in the state tend to convert even well-intentioned actions into controversies.

He also defended CPI-M district secretary K. Rafeek as someone who generally conducts himself in a dignified manner.

Vijayan said it was particularly regrettable that Mammootty, who has consistently expressed concern for Kerala’s development and has often spoken positively about major infrastructure initiatives in the state, was targeted online.

“This is a classic example of how a good-faith act can be twisted into something negative,” the Chief Minister said, reiterating that Mammootty should never have been insulted and that his stature as one of India’s most respected actors deserved greater understanding.

–IANS

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