With the revelation of having shared a close relationship with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for several years, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has proved himself to be having a mindset similar to that of a normal RSS worker, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary M.V. Govindan has said.
Speaking at a public meeting organised by the CPI(M) against the alleged anti-people policies of the BJP-led Union government on Tuesday, Mr. Govindan said a large alliance of regional forces has to be formed to resist the designs of the RSS and the BJP.
"The impromptu protests happened against the Governor at the venue of the Indian History Congress because he spoke in support of the Citizenship Act. Such protests are bound to happen in a State such as Kerala. K.K. Ragesh, who was then a Rajya Sabha MP, had participated in that event as an invited guest and had tried to cool down the protesters, and not egg them on, as the Governor has alleged. The video clips he produced on Monday disproved his previous claims against the Kannur University Vice Chancellor. If the attempt is to push the government and the Chief Minister into crisis, the LDF will resist it," he said.
Regarding the Governor's comments on Marxism, the people of Kerala who have seen the long decades of struggle by the Communists to win various rights can see through such claims, said Mr. Govindan.
He said the country is facing “a moment of crisis” with the RSS aiming to turn it into a Hindu Rashtra if it manages to win the next elections. The Congress, which is unable to influence the election results in most States, cannot be trusted to overcome this crisis. The alternative has to come from each State from an alliance of regional forces. Kerala will be one of the centre points of that alliance, said Mr. Govindan.
The Union government is attempting to centralise all powers and has begun to financially squeeze non-BJP States, including Kerala, in an attempt to scuttle all developmental activities and welfare measures. The Congress, as well as a section of the mainstream media, is lending support for these attempts. At the same time, corporates, including Adani and Ambani groups, have become richer at the cost of public banks and with the aid of government policies favouring them, added Mr. Govindan.
