Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan accuses Congress of maintaining ties with the RSS and engaging in "soft Hindutva" politics
Pinarayi said the CPM has never sought to appease the RSS. He highlighted that the CPM has endured the loss of many of its workers and leaders to the lethal assaults of the RSS
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized the Congress, accusing it of establishing links with the RSS and engaging in "soft Hindutva" politics.
The chief minister stated that the media is currently spreading a great deal of misinformation about CPM-RSS connections.
His statement was an indirect reference to the controversy caused by consecutive meetings between ADGP Law and Order M R Ajith Kumar and RSS general secretary Hosabale Dattatreya, as well as Ram Madhav, last year.
Pinarayi said the CPM has never sought to appease the RSS. He highlighted that the CPM has endured the loss of many of its workers and leaders to the lethal assaults of the RSS.
He dismissed the notion of any RSS affiliation with the CPM as absurd during his speech at the inauguration of the Kovalam party office, here on Tuesday.
He emphasized the CPM's longstanding opposition to the RSS, citing the Thalassery riots in 1971, where the CPM defended the mosques and suffered casualties while combating the rioters.
The Chief Minister reminisced that KPCC President K Sudhakaran had proudly admitted to safeguarding RSS shakhas from CPM assaults. He mentioned that the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh had declared a holiday on Ram Janmabhoomi Pran Pratishta Day, January 22. Likewise, the Congress government in Karnataka had coordinated special poojas in temples on the same day. He urged the Congress leadership to reflect on which party was in power at the Centre during the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
The Chief Minister's offensive followed accusations from the state's Congress leadership, who alleged he was involved in a covert deal with the RSS-BJP to weaken their party's standing in the state. Meanwhile, Pinarayi has kept silent regarding the ADGP's meeting with RSS leaders.