After a severe backlash from the ABVP, the students union and the editorial board of the Government Brennen College in Thalassery have decided to withdraw the 'offensive' illustration of a couple having intercourse in a theatre while the National Anthem is played, from their college magazine Pellet. Confirming the development to Edexlive, Muhammed Siraj, District Secretary SFI - Kannur, said, "The idea of the illustration was to depict the present situation in India where the RSS is trying to enforce rules like standing up for the national anthem in theatres, while on the other hand they are raping women on the streets. This was what the illustration meant."
These are some of the reactions online:
The illustration was done by Brennen College student Abhijith Kuttichira. It was on Page 13 of the Pellet Magazine, as part of Brennen College, Thalassery's 125th year celebrations. Incidentally, this is the alma mater of Kerala CM Pinrayi Vijayan.
He went on to say, "Although Brennen College's magazine committee stand by their idea behind the illustration and believe that it is the reality, they have decided to withdraw the illustration because the public might misunderstand it."
Though the magazine was published a while ago, the ABVP picked up on it and has proceeded to raise hell and highwater over the content — which they claimed was extremely anti-national and was deliberately created by the SFI to malign the BJP and the RSS units.