Kerala BJP MLA Muraleedharan faces apology demand over tribal school sweets row
Synopsis
A sweet-distribution moment at a Thiruvananthapuram tribal school has turned into Kerala's latest political flashpoint. CPI(M) leader Sivankutty is demanding a public apology from BJP MLA Muraleedharan after a viral video allegedly showed him scattering sweets on a table for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children to collect — an act the Opposition calls discriminatory and the BJP dismisses as a motivated controversy.
Key Takeaways
Muraleedharan was accused of scattering sweets on a table rather than handing them to children at Kattela Model Residential School , Thiruvananthapuram , on 2 June .
The school serves students predominantly from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Community backgrounds.
Sivankutty demanded a public apology, calling the conduct 'discriminatory and shameful'.
Thulasi , present at the event, was also criticised for not intervening.
The Kerala BJP rejected the allegations, saying the MLA placed sweets for children to take freely — not as an act of discrimination.
A school admission ceremony at a government-run tribal residential school in Thiruvananthapuram escalated into a sharp political controversy on Monday, 2 June, after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA V. Muraleedharan was accused of scattering sweets on a table rather than handing them directly to children from marginalised communities. Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leader V. Sivankutty has since demanded a public apology, calling the MLA's conduct discriminatory and degrading.
What Happened at Kattela School
The incident took place during the Praveshanolsavam — Kerala's annual school admission festival — at Kattela Model Residential School, whose student body is drawn predominantly from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Community backgrounds. Muraleedharan, the local MLA and chief guest at the function, was invited to distribute sweets to mark the occasion.
Videos and photographs that circulated widely on social media showed the MLA allegedly emptying a packet of sweets onto a table and directing the children to collect them themselves, rather than placing sweets in each child's hands individually. The visuals drew immediate accusations of insensitivity and discrimination, given the social background of the students present.
Sivankutty's Demand and the Political Attack
Former General Education Minister V. Sivankutty led the criticism, describing the MLA's behaviour as shameful and unbecoming of a public representative. 'Instead of encouraging the children by handing them sweets, they were made to pick them up from a table. Such actions hurt the self-respect of children and have no place in a civilised society,' Sivankutty said.
He also directed sharp criticism at State Minister K. A. Thulasi, who inaugurated the programme and was present during the incident. Sivankutty questioned why she did not intervene, calling her inaction a serious lapse. 'Those who are expected to be role models for children stood by without correcting an act that undermined their dignity,' he alleged.
BJP's Defence
The Kerala BJP rejected the allegations outright. Party supporters argued that Muraleedharan had not withheld sweets from any student and had instead placed an entire packet before the children, allowing them to take as many as they wished. The party characterised the controversy as politically motivated.
Broader Context and What It Signals
The episode comes against the backdrop of longstanding political tensions in Kerala between the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP, which has been seeking to expand its footprint among tribal and Dalit communities in the state. Critics argue that the optics of the incident — regardless of intent — carry symbolic weight in a state where caste sensitivity in public life is a live political issue.
Notably, events involving the treatment of children from marginalised communities at government institutions have previously triggered significant political fallout in Kerala. The Opposition is now pressing for a formal apology, while the BJP insists the charges are a distortion of what occurred. How Muraleedharan responds in the coming days is likely to determine whether the controversy subsides or deepens.
Point of View
Where caste-based dignity is a politically charged issue, the optics of marginalised children collecting sweets off a table — at a state-run institution, in front of elected officials — carry a weight that transcends the act itself. The BJP's defence, that the MLA merely placed a packet for children to take freely, sidesteps the question of perception and precedent. What is striking is that State Minister K. A. Thulasi was present and did not intervene — a silence that Sivankutty is right to flag, regardless of political affiliation. The episode is a reminder that symbolic gestures at public functions involving vulnerable communities are never truly routine.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Kattela Model Residential School in Thiruvananthapuram?
During the Praveshanolsavam function on 2 June, BJP MLA V. Muraleedharan allegedly scattered sweets on a table and asked students to pick them up rather than handing sweets to each child individually. The school caters primarily to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Community students, and a viral video of the incident triggered widespread criticism.
Why is CPI(M)'s Sivankutty demanding an apology?
Former General Education Minister V. Sivankutty described the MLA's conduct as discriminatory and an affront to the dignity of children from marginalised communities. He argued that a public representative distributing sweets at a government school should have handed them personally to each child, not placed them on a table for collection.
What is the BJP's response to the controversy?
The Kerala BJP rejected the criticism as politically motivated. Party supporters contended that Muraleedharan had not denied sweets to any child and had simply placed an entire packet on the table so children could take as many as they wished, framing it as a generous gesture rather than a discriminatory one.
Who else has been criticised in connection with the incident?
State Minister K. A. Thulasi, who inaugurated the Praveshanolsavam programme and was present during the incident, has been criticised by Sivankutty for not intervening. He called her silence a serious lapse and said those in positions of authority failed in their duty to protect the children's dignity.
What is Praveshanolsavam?
Praveshanolsavam is Kerala's annual school admission festival, typically held at the start of the academic year, to welcome new students — particularly those from disadvantaged communities — into government schools with celebratory functions and distribution of materials or sweets.
