BJP, Cong misrepresenting Muslim-dominated Malappuram: Vijayan; Oppn hits back

Thrissur (Kerala), Oct 25 (PTI) Kicking off his campaign for Left candidates contesting the bypolls in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday hit out at the BJP and the Congress-led UDF, alleging that the Sangh Parivar is misrepresenting Malappuram district, with the grand old party supporting this narrative.

Vijayan, who recently faced backlash for remarks linking gold smuggling and hawala transactions in Malappuram to "anti-national activities," said the government is taking strict action against gold smuggling and that crimes should be viewed as crimes, not attributed to any particular community.

"There are efforts to link these issues to a specific community, but the government will not endorse that perspective," the CM stated, clarifying his earlier controversial remarks about the Muslim-majority Malappuram district.

The opposition Congress-led UDF had targeted Vijayan over his Malappuram remarks, accusing him of unfairly portraying the Muslim-majority district, prompting demands for an apology and clarification.

While inaugurating the by-election convention of CPI(M)-led LDF candidate U R Pradeep at the Chelakkara Assembly constituency on Friday, the chief minister accused the BJP and RSS of trying to sow communal division, claiming that Congress has backed this propaganda.

"Congress opposed the formation of Malappuram district alongside Jana Sangh, even labelling it a 'small Pakistan.' However, the LDF's decision to establish Malappuram district has been validated," he said.

Malappuram district was formed on 16 June 1969, during the government led by legendary Marxist leader EMS Namboodiripad. The decision to create the district aimed to address the vastness of Kozhikode district and promote development in an area with a significant minority population.

In his speech, Vijayan said that Kerala is a state free from communal riots, unlike many others in the country.

"The LDF does not compromise on communalism, whereas in many states, those in power support such unrest. The LDF is committed to fighting against communalism, a stance that neither Congress nor the BJP can claim. The BJP, in particular, is inciting communal hatred, which leads to frequent riots," he alleged.

The chief minister criticised Congress, accusing it of adopting a lenient approach towards Hindutva while professing secularism.

"One of its leaders in the state said he had protected RSS sakhas, while another lit a lamp before the picture of Golwalkar," Vijayan said, taking a dig at Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, and KPCC chief K Sudhakaran.

The chief minister alleged that in the 1959 elections, the Congress allied with Jana Sangh to defeat EMS in Pattambi, but he won.

"Recently, in the Thrissur Lok Sabha elections, Congress lost 87,000 votes, while the LDF gained an additional 16,000 compared to the previous election. Where have Congress's votes gone?" he asked, indirectly referring to BJP candidate Suresh Gopi's victory from Thrissur seat defeating the Left and the Congress.

He further alleged that Congress is losing support daily, pointing out that they have a state president who is suggesting he might join the BJP at any time.

The chief minister also referred to minority communalism, accusing the Jamaat-e-Islami and SDPI of promoting it. He alleged that Congress is adopting a soft stance on these forces.

Hitting back at Vijayan, Satheesan charged that it was the former who has aligned the Kerala CPI(M) with the Sangh Parivar.

The Congress leader claimed that Vijayan's attempts to divert attention from ongoing investigations by Central agencies into his and his family's cases have weakened the CPI(M).

"The chief minister met with RSS leaders at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram shortly after being re-elected and sent ADGP Ajith Kumar to engage with them. CM Vijayan, along with ADGP Kumar, conspired to ensure BJP's victory in Thrissur," Satheesan alleged during a press conference in Palakkad.

He further said that Congress would not compromise with communal forces, saying, "It was the CPI(M) that received support from Jamaat-e-Islami for decades." The outfit sided with Congress only in the 2019 elections. "In the five elections I have contested, they supported the LDF," he claimed.

The bypoll has been necessitated in Chelakkara after sitting MLA K Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Alathur parliament seat.

In Chelakkara, the CPI(M) is placing its hopes on U R Pradeep, a former MLA of the constituency, who is contesting against the former Congress MP, Remya Haridas.

The Congress-led UDF is facing a challenge from N K Sudheer, a former KPCC secretary and state president of the Dalit Congress, who has been announced as the candidate of the Democratic Movement of Kerala (DMK), led by MLA P V Anvar.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be touring the other two constituencies--the Palakkad Assembly constituency and the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency -- where bypolls are being held as part of his campaign. PTI