Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan traded accusations of clandestinely pursuing a “special affinity” with the Sangh Parivar.
Mr. Vijayan said the Congress was loath to name Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) as primarily responsible for the violence in Kannur. It had pointedly refused to condemn the killing of Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres by the fundamentalist outfits. Acknowledging the truth would alienate die-hard fundamentalist votes from the Congress. Islamist and Sangh Parivar's votes had won the Congress the Thrikkakara Assembly seat in the recent byelection.
So far, political violence had claimed eight lives in Kerala since 2021. The Congress, the RSS and the SDPI were responsible for the murders, including slaying of four CPI(M) workers. Congress leaders in the State were on the brink of defecting to the BJP as they did to undermine the Left government in Tripura.
Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan countered: “Kairali news channel had broadcast the press conference of a Hindu Aikya Vedi leader in its entirety when the pro-Sangh Parivar Janam TV had ignored the event. Kairali had merely honoured the demand of its political master. The RSS leader is a regular at the office and home of Law Minister P. Rajeeve. The incident underscores the CPI(M)‘s politically expedient and largely symbiotic association with Hindu right wing forces”.
The Congress’s win at Thrikkakara had unnerved Mr. Rajeeve. “Ever since he sends four Kairali channel reporters to disrupt and sidetrack my press conferences. Rajeeve has also repeatedly tasked CPI(M) leaders to target me. He is a poor loser with a punctured ego,” he said.
Mr. Satheesan’s fusillade against Mr. Rajeeve was a riposte to CPI(M) accusation that he was present at an RSS leader’s book release in 2013. Mr. Satheesan countered that former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan had released the first edition.
Mr. Satheesan averred Union Minister S. Jaishankar's remark that the previous Left Democratic Front government had violated protocol in its transactions with the UAE consulate had provoked Mr. Vijayan to attack the BJP. However, the animosity was transitory, he said.
