Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Sunday, lashed out at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, saying the state doesn’t need any advice on nationalism from the people who were not a part of the freedom struggle and serviced colonial rulers.
The CM was speaking at the inaugural function of the activities of the Delhi Unit of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) for 2017-19.
The CM was responding to Mohan Bhagwat’s allegation that the state governments of West Bengal and Kerala are “on the side of jihadi elements that are invoking the violence” there. In a speech, the RSS chief made on Saturday he said, "Jihadi elements are acting out their violence in Kerala and Bengal, and while people are resisting, the state governments are supporting these anti-national forces by not fulfilling their duty, they (state governments) are on their side”.
The Kerala CM said that RSS portrayed religious minorities as the "internal threat" to the country. Vijayan said that Bhagwat’s comments were a challenge to each Keralites and state as a whole.
“It is a known fact that communal forces play a major role in disturbing the political atmosphere of Kerala. But certain media houses hide this fact and blame the progressive movements and organisations of the state. The RSS chief has said that the state government was supporting anti-national elements that are perpetrating the violence. But we treat communal forces as communal forces, terrorists as terrorists and criminal acts as criminal acts itself,” Pinarayi Vijayan said in a press release by KUWJ Delhi.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, the CM wrote: “We all know the history & geography of RSS's nationalism, their activities/propaganda against the secular character of Indian constitution. Kerala need not be taught by head of an outfit which was subservient to the British with its top brass prohibiting participation in mass movements. Kerala has the unique distinction where patriotic Indians revolted against the British rulers even before the first freedom struggle of 1857.”
He added that RSS got a foothold in many states by spreading terrorism in the name of religion, by making communally abrasive comments and by attacking minorities.
Heavily coming down on Bhagwat he said, “Dear Shri Bhagwat, you need not worry about Kerala & its people friendly secular-democratic government. We need no lessons from you or RSS. Let RSS concentrate on issues reported in media and social media regarding violence related to communal polarisation, cow vigilantism, atrocities against minorities, Dalit and women in various BJP ruled states.”