THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: MP John Brittas has criticised the Forest Department’s case against popular rapper Vedan (Hirandas Murali). Brittas stated that if there has been a legal violation in Vedan’s case, let there be punishment, but the way some officials are overenthusiastically turning the matter into a spectacle is in no way acceptable. He said that the discovery of a tiger tooth around Vedan’s neck was portrayed as a major event. He also condemned the Forest Department’s reference to Vedan’s mother’s Sri Lankan background in connection with the case, calling it sheer absurdity and nonsense.

Brittas added that some forest officials are still eager to "enter kitchens and lift cooking pots," implying an intrusive and excessive attitude. The time has long passed for such overzealous behaviour to be rejected by Kerala society, he remarked in his Facebook post.

John Brittas’s Facebook post:

I have not met rapper Vedan. I am not very familiar with his genre of music either. But I cannot remain silent about the controversy surrounding him. If he has violated the law, let him be punished. However, the way some officials have taken excessive interest and are celebrating the matter is not desirable in any sense. The discovery of a tiger tooth around Vedan's neck was sensationalised as a huge event. It's not an atom bomb. Many old households have handicraft items made from the body parts of wild animals. What disturbed me more was another piece of news: ‘Vedan’s mother is of Sri Lankan origin, and that connection is relevant to the case,’ said the Forest Department. This is sheer absurdity and nonsense.

Due to the nuisance caused by wild animals, farming has become nearly impossible in many parts of Kerala. The Kerala government has even proposed that wild boars and monkeys be categorised as vermin. Yet, some forest officials still seem eager to overreach and make a show of petty matters. They must realise that the time has long passed for such over-enthusiasm to be accepted by Kerala society.