"Excited for Votes": Muraleedharan mocks CPM leaders over Kumbh Mela star’s marriage controversy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader K. Muraleedharan has lashed out at the Kerala government, stating it should have verified the bride's age before supporting the high-profile marriage of the "Kumbh Mela viral star." He also mocked CPM leaders for their haste in endorsing the union. When asked by the media if the "lotus would bloom" (a reference to BJP success) in Thiruvananthapuram, Muraleedharan retorted that he was "not an astrologer."

Muraleedharan emphasized that the government failed in its due diligence:
"The government should have checked whether the girl was of legal age before taking action. A case has already been registered by the Madhya Pradesh government. It is wrong to jump into such matters for the sake of votes without an objective investigation into the facts. MV Govindan must have been overexcited due to the upcoming elections. When intervening in such sensitive issues, all sides must be examined."

The controversy escalated after the Madhya Pradesh Police registered a case under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act against the husband, Farman Khan. While the wedding took place at the Arumanoor Sri Nainaar Deva temple in Thiruvananthapuram on March 11, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes later discovered that the girl was only 16 years and two months old at the time. Hospital records from Madhya Pradesh indicate a birth date of December 30, 2009, suggesting a fake certificate was used for the marriage. Consequently, the Commission has directed the DGPs of Kerala and Madhya Pradesh to appear in Delhi to address the matter.

The situation has become an embarrassment for the CPM, whose leaders were the primary proponents of the union. CPM State Secretary MV Govindan, Education Minister V. Sivankutty, and A.A. Rahim MP all attended the ceremony, publicly praising the marriage as the "Real Kerala Story." Muraleedharan’s comments highlight the growing criticism that the ruling party prioritised political optics over legal verification.