AMMA crisis deepens as actors level political, financial charges against Shwetha Menon

Kochi, Jul 4 (PTI) The crisis in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) escalated on Saturday, with a group of actors levelling fresh allegations against former president Shwetha Menon, a day after a court stayed the functioning of the ad hoc committee constituted to run the organisation.

The allegations were raised by actors Mala Parvathy, Ansiba Hassan, Usha Haseena and Maya Viswanath at a joint press conference here.

Parvathy alleged that attempts were made within the organisation to brand Ansiba Hassan as a “communalist” and a “jihadi” for questioning certain decisions of the leadership.

“Ansiba was targeted and attempts were made to portray her as a communalist and a jihadi,” she claimed.

She also alleged that Shwetha Menon tried to steer AMMA in line with a political agenda and referred to a video interview in which BJP leader Padmaja Menon purportedly spoke about the possibility of the Adani Group donating Rs 15 crore to the organisation.

“A political leader is saying that Rs 15 crore can be brought from a multinational company based on Swetha’s credibility. We do not want Rs 15 crore from any multinational company,” Parvathy said after playing the video during the press conference.

She further alleged that an audio conversation between Shwetha Menon and actor-MLA Ramesh Pisharody was released through the media with a political agenda and claimed that portions of the conversation had been deliberately withheld.

Ansiba Hassan alleged that serious financial irregularities under the previous executive committee were the real reason behind the collapse of the administration.

“It was because of these financial irregularities that the leadership was unwilling to convert the executive committee into an ad hoc committee,” she alleged.

Usha Haseena alleged that ego clashes and vested interests within the executive committee had pushed the organisation into a crisis.

The actors asserted that they would oppose any attempt to pursue political agendas through the organisation.

Meanwhile, Shwetha Menon, in a Facebook post on Saturday, did not directly respond to the allegations but thanked senior actors Mammootty and Mohanlal for supporting her.

“I want to thank Mammookka and Lalettan for being my rock. They told me not to resign, to stand firm on my position and to fight,” she said.

“I also want to thank every AMMA member who stood by me and believed this fight was worth fighting,” she added.

The fresh allegations came a day after an Ernakulam court stayed the functioning of the ad hoc committee constituted to manage AMMA’s affairs after the association’s general body removed the previous executive committee.

The stay was granted on a petition filed by Menon, who contended that the formation of the ad hoc committee was contrary to the association’s bylaws.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 13.

Menon, who was the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), approached the court contending that the formation of the ad hoc committee was contrary to the bylaws of the charitable organisation formed for the welfare of actors in the Malayalam film industry.

During AMMA’s general body meeting held here on June 21, members decided to remove the existing executive committee, citing alleged irregularities, and appointed an ad hoc committee headed by Pisharody to manage the organisation’s affairs until fresh elections.

In her petition, Menon argued that under the association’s bylaws, the existing executive committee should continue in office until a new committee is elected.

Several members of the executive committee under Menon had already resigned following the general body meeting. PTI

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