Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday strongly criticised sections of the online media for their conduct during the funeral of National Award-winning Malayalam actor Salim Kumar and for the social media attacks directed at the actor during his final days in hospital.

During a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the scenes witnessed at the actor's funeral in North Paravur reflected a serious lack of restraint.

"It was a terrible state of affairs. The police could not even pay honours properly because of the rush. Members of the family were unable to perform the funeral rites peacefully. I had reacted against this even then," the Chief Minister said.

Satheesan also condemned the social media campaign that targeted the actor while he was critically ill.

"This is not suited to Kerala's culture. Who is behind such campaigns? Why would anyone post such comments when a person is on a ventilator? Everyone, including actors and artists, has political views," he said.

Salim Kumar, who passed away last week, had long been associated with the Congress-led UDF and had openly campaigned for the front during Assembly elections. His final public appearance was at a reception organised in North Paravur to felicitate Satheesan after he assumed office as Chief Minister.

The actor's funeral, held with full State honours at his residence in North Paravur on Sunday, sparked widespread debate over media ethics and privacy after videos emerged showing photographers, videographers and online media personnel crowding around the grieving family.

The situation became particularly emotional when Salim Kumar's eldest son, Chandu, visibly peeved, was seen repeatedly asking media personnel to move back and allow family members space to pay their final respects. Videos of the incident quickly went viral, drawing criticism from the public and several prominent figures.

The controversy prompted the Kerala Police to issue a public advisory on Monday warning against the misuse of mobile cameras and the invasion of personal privacy during sensitive situations such as deaths, accidents and public tragedies.

In its statement, the police said incidents involving human suffering were increasingly being used as content for social media engagement, often at the expense of the dignity and privacy of those affected. It stressed that unnecessary intrusion into private moments could amount to a violation of fundamental rights.

The police also reminded the public that the right to privacy is protected under the Constitution and warned that capturing or circulating images and videos without consent could attract legal consequences. Officials pointed out that Section 66E of the Information Technology Act, 2000, provides for imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to ₹2 lakh for privacy violations involving the publication or transmission of images without permission.