Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has warned that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power for a third time, the country will be in an “insurmountable danger” and there will be no point in regretting it later .
Attacking the BJP-ruled Centre as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mr. Vijayan at a function in Kannur on Sunday accused them of trying to destroy the diversity in the country and create a nation based on religion.
The Chief Minister said communal clashes were taking place in the country in the name of cows, the kind of food one should consume, and by depicting one group of citizens as enemies of the country. He said that everyone, irrespective of religion, caste or creed, was entitled to equal protection of law, but that was being changed in the country. All this had created fear and apprehension among minority communities, he said.
“If the BJP comes to power for a third time, the nation will face an insurmountable danger and there will be no point in expressing regret thereafter. The country has realised this fact and public opinion is that this danger has to be avoided. Therefore, a unified front of secular-minded groups and people has been created with the aim of defeating the BJP and ensuring that it does not return to power for a third term,” he said.
He said that the BJP had also realised that a third term might not be possible. “That realisation has led them to take some dangerous steps as indicated by some recent incidents.” Mr. Vijayan said the recent raids by various Central agencies in four Opposition-ruled States in the country “show how the BJP is going to respond to the changing circumstances.”
“More such actions can be expected from them, but it will not be sufficient to change or sway the people’s mind. The unified front to defeat the BJP is strong and needs to be strengthened further,” he said.
