Palakkad: A BJP leader from Palakkad has lodged a formal complaint against rapper and songwriter Vedan (Hirandas Murali), alleging defamation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the promotion of caste-based division through his music.
VS Minimol, a municipal councillor and chairperson of the Development Committee at the Palakkad Municipality, has urged the Union Home Ministry and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take action against the rapper.
She claimed that one of Vedan's songs contains defamatory remarks about the prime minister and inflammatory language aimed at "dividing the Hindu community along caste lines".
"The artist has made unsubstantiated, disrespectful, and offensive remarks about the Prime Minister, which not only malign his personal and political image but also undermine the dignity of the highest constitutional office in the country," Minimol said in the complaint, filed two days ago.
She claimed that the song directly mentions "Modi" during a live public performance, which she believes disrespects the Prime Minister's office and fuels public discord.
The complaint also pointed to Vedan's previous legal troubles, including his April 28 arrest in a drug-related case in Tripunithura, near Kochi.
Additionally, it alleged that, despite being out on bail, the rapper continues to organise large-scale concerts with massive audiences, where he incites violence and hatred.
Minimol has urged authorities to investigate the matter under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including defamation, promoting enmity between groups, and causing public mischief. She also called for relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act to be applied.
So far, Vedan and his representatives have not issued an official response.
The BJP leader’s complaint follows recent criticism of Vedan from Sangh Parivar leaders.
At an event in Palakkad on Wednesday, Hindu Aikyavedi leader K P Sasikala alleged that Vedan's “improperly dressed antics” were humiliating society and called for an end to them. She also questioned the relevance of rap music to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community.
In response, Vedan stated that Sasikala's allegedly casteist remarks were part of a broader effort to portray him as “an extremist, a separatist, or a troublemaker”. He further argued that her comments—suggesting rap music has no connection to the SC/ST community—reflected an attitude among people like her who resist members of such communities pursuing anything different.
"I don't have the voice to sing classical songs—if I did, I would. I can only sing rap," he told reporters in Kochi on Thursday.
(inputs from PTI)