Milma Withdraws Controversial Ad Allegedly Mocking MP Shafi Parambil

Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst the political controversy surrounding Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil’s fractured nose due to a recent police lathi charge, Milma has withdrawn an advertisement card posted on social media that caricatured a figure resembling the MP. The ad card, which appeared on the Facebook page of Milma Malabar Regional Union, triggered widespread protests from Congress workers.

The controversial advertisement featured a person with a plaster on his nose, accompanied by a slogan that read: “‘I only know how to eat, not how to buy – Thorappan Kochunni'”. This phrase is a parody of a popular dialogue from the Malayalam movie ‘CID Moosa’, where the character Thorappan Kochunni, portrayed by actor Harishree Ashokan, famously says, “‘I only know how to write, not how to read'”. The public quickly linked the caricature and the slogan to MP Shafi Parambil’s recent injury, leading to accusations that Milma was attempting to mock him.

Milma Chairman K.S. Mani, however, denied these allegations, stating that the card was not circulated with the intention to insult anyone. He clarified that the organization’s social media team manages such content and that Milma has no political agenda to attack individuals. Mani emphasized that the company often uses catchy slogans as a marketing strategy to attract customers and that nothing beyond that was intended.

This is not the first instance of Milma facing backlash over its advertisements. Earlier, the company had to withdraw another ad which caricatured a student. This advertisement depicted a student arguing with police after being unable to cross barricades during a BJP’s Cliff House march, with the slogan “‘Hey son, just cool down'”. That particular ad, which was for Milma’s Lassi product, was also pulled after the student’s father lodged a formal complaint with the Milma authorities. These incidents highlight the fine line that advertisers must tread in public discourse, especially when touching upon sensitive political or social matters.