A front-page article in the July 2 edition of the Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi has sparked controversy, prompting BJP leader V Muraleedharan to announce a boycott of the newspaper. The former Minister of State for External Affairs declared on July 3 that he would cease subscribing to Mathrubhumi, citing the article as "against media ethics."

The contentious article, titled "Nandi Rahul" (Thank you, Rahul) in bold red font, praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's July 1 speech in Parliament. It highlighted Gandhi's message about the vital role of the opposition in democracy and illustrated him with a bow and four arches, representing his key arguments.

Muraleedharan criticized the piece, arguing that while newspapers have the freedom to take editorial stands, the front page should strictly report news. He stated that the July 2 front page resembled an editorial rather than a news report. "The approach of unilaterally praising the opposition party and portraying a government elected for the third time as the villain is against media excellence," he said. He accused the paper of ignoring the BJP's third consecutive victory, which he attributed to "ten years of hard work by Narendra Modi."

Muraleedharan, a long-time subscriber, expressed his disappointment, announcing his decision to end his five-decade-long subscription to Mathrubhumi.