Palakkad:
An unfinished gym building in Kerala’s Palakkad has sparked a statewide controversy over blurred lines between religion and fitness. But NDTV’s investigation into the facility suggests the story is far more complicated.
The controversy began after an individual by the name of Nawas Muthu promoted what he described as an “Islamic-friendly gym”. The video quickly drew attention, with critics alleging that the proposed facility was seeking to introduce religious rules into a public commercial space.
According to him, the idea was to introduce specific time slots that would offer greater privacy for women, including women instructors, and an environment without music during those hours. “This is a Muslim majority area and we wanted them to come to our gym without inhibition,” he added. Muthu further claimed that the facility would continue to welcome people from all communities.
Speaking to NDTV, Muthu insisted that his original message was misunderstood. “The concept did not spread in the manner I intended. Certain groups deliberately turned it into a controversy,” he said.
Confusion Over Partnership, Ownership
The controversy has also exposed significant confusion over his actual role in the project. One of the partners associated with the gym Ahmed Settu said Muthu is neither the owner nor an official partner of ASB Fitness Centre. According to him, Muthu was previously associated with the gym as a trainee and later offered to financially support its renovation after the facility shut down four months ago.
While Settu identified himself and one Shahul Hameed as the long-time operators of the facility, Muthu’s exact involvement remains under question in the absence of formal documentation regarding ownership changes or partnership arrangements.
Settu claimed Muthu proposed an unconventional marketing campaign aimed at attracting more customers from the surrounding locality who follow religious orthodoxy in Islam. “He said he would invest money to rebuild the gym and came up with the idea of introducing special slots without music and with privacy arrangements for women. It was presented as a marketing concept,” Settu said.
Gym Premises Shut, Questions Over Past Record
When an NDTV team went to gym premises, which remain under renovation and are unlikely to open for at least another month, it was found that the gym was closed since four months. The gym in question operates under the name ASB Fitness Centre, a facility that local partners claim has existed in the area for nearly 15 years.
Adding to the confusion are comments that appeared under Muthu’s original Instagram promotion, which was later deleted. In the post, Muthu had described the project as operating “in accordance with Islamic laws” and listed several proposed principles, including the absence of music, requirements regarding dress and covering of the body, separate timings for men and women, and restrictions on what he termed “unnecessary conversations.”
Those remarks became the focal point of the controversy and raised questions about whether the project was being marketed as a faith-based fitness facility rather than merely a gym offering privacy-oriented slots.
Settu, however, rejected that interpretation. “Aren’t there already gyms that provide exclusive timings for women? This is being unnecessarily turned into a controversy,” he said.
Settu also pointed to the gym’s history, saying ASB Fitness Centre had operated for years with basic equipment and nominal fees. “We charged as little as Rs 10 for members and Rs 20 from non-members. Many youngsters from different communities trained here. Some even went on to become police officers and government employees,” he said.
Police sources confirmed that preliminary verification found the gym was not operational when the controversy erupted and that no immediate legal violations were detected. No FIR has been registered so far.
Settu denies any links. “You can check with the police whether any complaint was received about this gym in the last 15 years,” he said.
Political Controversy
BJP activists claim the gym works in a stronghold of SDPI, a political outfit of banned organisation Popular Front of India. Police sources also told NDTV the area is a stronghold of SDPI.
Last week, BJP Palakkad East District President Prasanth Sivan submitted a formal complaint to the District Police Chief seeking an investigation into the gym’s ownership, funding and objectives. The complaint alleged that the concept promoted religious segregation and sought action under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to communal harmony and public order.
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