Kerala CM Accuses BJP, Centre Of Fanning Communalism To Hide State's Progress

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the BJP and the Central government of trying to flare up communal tensions in the southern state to hide the developments and economic progress taking place here. Lashing out at the RSS, Sangh Parivar and the BJP-ruled Centre, Vijayan accused them of conspiring to damage the image of Kerala and foment communal divide in the state."Communalism is being used by the Centre and BJP to hide the facts, of the progress in Kerala. They are trying to flare up communalism here," the Chief Minister alleged after inaugurating the CPI(M)'s state-wide month-long People's Defence Rally here.

He said communalism in whatever form was always opposed by the Left front and it would continue to do so. The Chief Minister also sharply criticised the Centre's socio-economic policies by terming them as being harmful to the interests of the people, states and the nation. Vijayan did not spare the Congress-led UDF opposition either by accusing them of taking a soft approach against the Centre's anti-Kerala propaganda and policies.

He said the Congress and its UDF allies were only interested in deriding the efforts of the Left government in Kerala and showing the state in a poor light, rather than speaking about the achievements of the LDF government or criticising the Centre's policies aimed at financially weakening the southern state. Vijayan contended that the silence of the UDF on the Centre's policies that were adversely affecting Kerala indicated that it was supporting the Union government. He also reiterated his criticism against the recent Jamaat-e-Islami-RSS meeting and questioned for whose benefit it was held.

Vijayan said that the Jamaat was also a supporter of the Congress-led UDF and wondered whether the opposition party had any role in the meeting. He said the rally was intended to inform the people of Kerala about what the RSS, Centre and UDF were doing as well as the efforts being made by the Left government for the welfare of the people and ensure development in the state. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, meanwhile, ridiculed the CPI(M) rally led by its state secretary M V Govindan, saying it was aptly named as a defence march as the Left administration in Kerala was on the back foot.

He also accused the ruling front of being behind all the problems, like the menace of drugs, plaguing the state. In his speech, Vijayan also claimed the freedom of the press was also under threat in the country. This was evident from the Centre's opposition to screening the BBC documentary in the country and the subsequent action taken by central agencies against the media group's offices in India, he said. Vijayan said it was a sorry state of affairs where the media in the country was silent on the treatment meted out to the foreign news outlet. The Chief Minister said freedom of the press in the country was at present much worse than it was during the Emergency period.