'Casteist remarks an attempt to portray me as separatist', Vedan reacts to K P Sasikala's remarks

Popular rapper and songwriter Vedan (Hirandas Murali) has reacted to Hindu Aikyavedi leader K P Sasikala's remarks claiming that rap music has no connection with the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community. As per PTI, Vedan said the casteist remarks of the Hindu Aikyavedi leader were part of an ongoing attempt to portray him as 'an extremist, a separatist or a troublemaker'.

According to PTI, he also claimed that Sasikala's remarks regarding rap music show that people like her do not want people from such communities to do anything else. "I do not have the voice to sing classical songs, else I would have. I can only sing rap," he said.

Vedan further said that all the disparaging remarks against him also show that what he was doing and saying was having the desired effect. Hitting back at Sasikala for her comment that rap has no connection with the SC/ST community, he said that democracy and extreme Hindutva politics of the Sangh Parivar have no link.

Sasikala, during an event in Palakkad on Wednesday, alleged that society was being humiliated by Vedan's "improperly dressed antics" and that it was time to stop the same. She also questioned the connection between rap music and the SC/ST community.

"Is that (rap music) part of the unique art or culture of the SC/ST community? Is that a tribal culture? Is that how their (SC/ST) identity has to be asserted?" she had asked while speaking at the event. She had also questioned why rap music was part of the programmes at a recent event held at Palakkad using funds of the SC/ST Development Department.

Sasikala said that the government needs to hear properly what the people are saying and it should change its alleged stand that it will only hear 'ganja users'.