A startling and brutal victory march was reported from Tirur in Kerala’s Malappuram district, where workers linked to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) beheaded a goat on the street during post-election celebrations. The incident, reported from Perunthalloor in Tavanoor on May 4, 2026, has triggered sharp reactions after visuals of the procession and the beheading surfaced on social media. It looks like a “Jihadi style” celebration linked to the UDF (Congress-led United Democratic Front) victory march.
According to reports, Muslim League workers tied a photograph of former LDF minister K.T. Jaleel around the goat’s neck before parading the animal through the area. The goat was later beheaded publicly, and the bleeding head was tied to a stick and displayed during the procession around 1 pm. Office bearers of the Muslim Youth League were reportedly leading the march.
Images and videos of the procession were widely circulated on social media by Muslim Youth League workers. Observers noted that Kerala had never witnessed such a victory march in recent political memory.
Following criticism, Muslim League leaders reportedly claimed that the act was merely the “overenthusiasm” of party workers.
K.T. Jaleel, once associated with the Muslim League, had earlier been linked with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which is now a banned outfit. He later joined the Indian Union Muslim League and served as the general secretary of the Muslim Youth League before parting ways with Muslim League supremo P.K. Kunjalikkutty.
In 2006, Jaleel contested against Kunjalikkutty as an LDF-backed independent candidate and defeated him, marking the only electoral defeat suffered by the senior Muslim League leader. Jaleel later served in the first Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet as Minister for Local Self Government, Welfare of Minorities, Wakf and Haj Pilgrimage, and was additionally given charge of Higher Education in 2018.
He resigned in April 2021 after the Kerala Lok Ayukta found him guilty of nepotism.
Political observers said the goat procession reflected the continuing anger within sections of the Muslim League against Jaleel.
