Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 (NationPress) As the dust from the local body elections begins to settle, a political parody song has ignited a challenging discourse for the CPI(M) regarding faith, free expression, and ideological integrity.

The track “Pottiye, Kettiye…” satirizing the Sabarimala gold-smuggling scandal continues to resonate in victory celebrations and social media, transforming a campaign quip into a broader political and ideological flashpoint.

Utilized by the Congress, Muslim League, and BJP during the local body elections, the parody has gained renewed traction post-results, shifting from street processions to UDF protest sites outside Parliament.

Its catchy chorus, mocking the supposed transformation of “gold into copper,” has struck a chord with voters but seems to have unsettled the Left, which now contends that the song undermines religious sentiments by misappropriating sharanam chants linked to Lord Ayyappa.

CPI(M) leader and Rajya Sabha member A.A. Rahim accused the Left of prioritizing welfare initiatives while the Congress aimed to communalize the campaign through faith-centric messaging and parody.

Echoing this sentiment, Raju Abraham, CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district secretary, asserted that devotional songs of any faith should not be turned into parodies as they hurt religious sentiments.

However, these claims have rekindled memories of the party’s own stringent stance on religion.

Critics recall that in 2006, the CPI(M) reprimanded its MLAs M.M. Monai and Aisha Potti for swearing an oath in God’s name in the Assembly.

At that time, the state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan accused them of degrading the party through overt displays of faith, with the state committee emphasizing that loyalty to dialectical materialism was paramount.

Both leaders were subsequently marginalized, a fate many party members reportedly encountered for engaging in religious practices.

Opposition figures have also highlighted that CPI(M)-affiliated Kairali TV had previously aired a similar political parody during K. Karunakaran’s Chief Ministership, adapting an Ayyappa devotional song for satire, which was broadly accepted by the public.

The ongoing debate has taken a legal turn as the Thiruvabharanam Patha Protection Committee lodged a complaint with the DGP alleging misuse of devotional material.

Simultaneously, social media has resurrected past Ayyappa-themed political satires from the 1990s, underscoring Kerala’s rich tradition of political humor.

Adding to the irony, two senior CPI(M) leaders—former Devaswom Board presidents A. Padmakumar and N. Vasu—remain in judicial custody concerning the Sabarimala gold case, with the party yet to take any disciplinary action.

The Congress has ridiculed the CPI(M) for shedding “crocodile tears” over a parody while remaining silent on the alleged theft of Ayyappa’s gold.

As the song continues to trend, the controversy raises a more profound question for the Left: can a party that once penalized expressions of faith within its own ranks genuinely claim moral outrage when religion is invoked through political satire?