'I stand with Modi, not Kerala BJP': Filmmaker Ali Akbar explains his resignation

Filmmaker Ramasimhan (formerly Ali Akbar), known for his outspoken opinions, has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and stepped down as its State Committee Member in Kerala. In an exclusive and candid conversation with Republic Digital, Ramasimhan poured his heart out, revealing the reasons behind his decision. Ramasimhan joined BJP in 2015 under the guidance of senior leader O Rajagopal, the first saffron party member in the legislative assembly of Kerala.

"Since the beginning, I have been marginalised by the BJP. I contested in the Koduvally constituency, predominantly represented by a minority community. In a place where BJP had never crossed 6,000 votes, I was able to secure an astounding 11,856 votes in 2016. However, despite this exceptional result, I was immediately pushed to the sidelines," says Ramasimhan, who recently garnered fame and courted controversy with his movie Puzha Muthal Puzha Vare, which depicted the Hindu Genocide in Malabar in 1920.

The filmmaker revealed that he was bestowed with membership to the state committee, but it turned out to be merely ceremonial. "Although they gave me the title of the state committee member, I was never given the opportunity to share the stage or address the public," he lamented.

'Politics of BJP in Kerala is of compromise,' says Ramasimhan

In April of this year, the Kozhikode Corporation decided to rename the newly renovated Jubilee Hall in Tali after freedom fighter Mohammed Abdur Rahman. The BJP had raised objections, arguing that the Tali region in Kozhikode had historical connections with the Temple, and renaming it would be erasing the heritage of the land. The party accused the corporation of furthering the political agenda of the CPIM.

During a BJP protest, Ramasimhan claimed that he was invited to sit on the dais but was not given the opportunity to address the crowd. "After this incident, I made the decision to quit the party," he stated.

Ramasimhan also claimed BJP's politics in Kerala is at odds with the party's agenda outside the state. "The politics of the BJP in Kerala is one of compromise. Despite the rampant corruption by CPIM, what did the BJP do to garner public support?" questioned the filmmaker, whose movie on the Malabar Massacre, fully crowdfunded, is now being translated into Hindi.

'Got no support from BJP for my films': Ali Akbar

Recalling the lack of support he received from the BJP leadership throughout the production and release of his movie, Ramasimhan stated that they offered no assistance or even expressed support. "It took me 9 months to obtain the Censor Board certificate, which they unlawfully withheld. I approached the court and received a favourable decision, but the Censor Board still held onto the certificate. Finally, when I reached out to the Prime Minister's office, the Censor Board issued the certificate within 24 hours," recounted Ramasimhan.

When questioned about why he didn't raise his concerns with the party, Ramasimhan stated that the BJP doesn't value artists. Recently, film directors Rajasenan and Bheeman Raghu resigned from the Kerala BJP and joined CPIM.

Ramasimhan dismissed claims that he would join another party, emphasising that he is a proud Hindutva crusader. "I stand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his vision. I have only resigned from the BJP Kerala membership," he stressed when asked about the possibility of switching to another party.

Ramasimhan also revealed that many prominent figures in Kerala are contemplating leaving the party. The filmmaker said that he initially didn't want to publicly announce his resignation. "When rumours flouted that I am joining CPIM, I was forced to respond. I will work for BJP outside of Kerala," he concluded.