Ramasimhan alias Ali Akbar announces his parting with BJP, says not a slave of politics
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Kochi: Former BJP state committee member and film director, Ali Akbar, also known as Ramasimhan Aboobakker, has announced his resignation from the party, becoming the third film personality to part ways with the BJP in Kerala within the past week. Akbar, who has directed over 20 films, had converted to Hinduism last year and changed his name to Ramasimhan Aboobakker.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Ramasimhan shared his decision and posted his brief resignation letter addressed to BJP state president K Surendran. He expressed his newfound independence from politics, stating, "I am not a slave of any politics. Now I am free from all and stand only with dharma."
Once considered one of the BJP's prominent Muslim faces in Kerala, Akbar had resigned from the party state committee in October 2021 following a reshuffle. Since then, he had been an ordinary member of the party, actively promoting the Sangh Parivar narrative among Muslims in northern Kerala.
He had also announced a film focused on the Malabar rebellion of 1921 to present the "Hindu side of the rebellion," receiving support from Christian groups opposing the "love jihad" narrative.
Joining Akbar in departing from the BJP, noted Malayalam film director Rajasenan, who was a member of the BJP state committee, recently quit the party as well. Rajasenan, who had contested the Assembly election in 2016 on a BJP ticket, announced his decision to join the CPI(M), citing neglect within the BJP and emphasizing the space for artists within the CPI(M).
Furthermore, actor Bheeman Raghu, a former BJP candidate in the previous Assembly elections, has also expressed his desire to leave the BJP. Raghu, who recently voiced his admiration for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, plans to meet Vijayan before deciding on his next steps.
In response to these resignations, Advocate Narayanan Namboothiri, the BJP state spokesperson, characterized Akbar's departure as a personal decision and highlighted that artists have the freedom to make their own choices. Namboothiri also mentioned the alleged boycotts faced by artists who join the BJP in Kerala, noting the campaign against Suresh Gopi's movies after the actor joined the party.
The resignations of these film personalities from the BJP in Kerala signal a shifting political landscape in the state and raise questions about the party's support and engagement with artists. As these individuals explore new paths and affiliations, their decisions may have repercussions on both the entertainment industry and the political sphere in Kerala.