The internal friction within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) has deepened with actor Shwetha Menon, who had announced her resignation from the post of president following a stormy general body meeting held on June 21, stating that she would not step down.
She has challenged the formation of the ad-hoc committee at the general body meeting, claiming that it violated the by-laws of the association. A meeting of the ad-hoc committee led by Ramesh Pisharody, actor and MLA, on Thursday (July 2, 2026) had blamed her for the current deadlock. He had pointed out that the ad-hoc committee is yet to officially receive the resignation of the previous panel led by Ms. Menon.
The 17-member panel led by her decided to step down after a section of the association moved a no-confidence motion against the leadership at a general body meeting. The executive committee was accused of failing to run the day-to-day affairs of the organisation and resolve the disputes within the outfit. After exiting the general body meeting, she had told media persons that she will also resign from the primary membership as a mark of protest.
In a social media post on Thursday night, she alleged that nearly 10 to 15 members had attended the general body meeting “with an agenda” to oust her panel. They had distributed a pre-printed resolution, having allegations against our committee. Though it was handed over to me at the meeting, it was not approved. Of the 243 members who attended the meeting, the resolution failed to secure the two-thirds majority. Hence that resolution lacked any legal backing, she alleged.
She blamed a few vested interests of trying to gain control over the association. “I will not step down without proving my innocence”, she said. The actor claimed that her panel has the powers to continue until the next election as per the association’s by-laws.
Meanwhile, three members of the panel – actors Joy Mathew, Jayan Cherthala, and Kailash – have submitted their resignations. They submitted the resignation after the ad-hoc committee leadership stated on Thursday that they have not yet received official intimation from Ms. Menon and other members.
A panel member stated that the decision taken by the general body meeting “remains the final word” for the association.
Published - July 03, 2026 09:43 am IST
Source: The Hindu - India News
