Satheesan hits back at CM, accuses CPI(M) of majority, minority appeasement

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V.D. Satheesan on Friday hit back at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over his remarks on the alleged Congress-RSS pact, claiming that the CPI(M) leader was indulging in both majority and minority appeasement.

The verbal duel started after the Congress alleged a CPI(M)-BJP “deal” in the upcoming election, following which Mr. Vijayan claimed that Mr. Satheesan had the support of the RSS in North Paravoor.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Satheesan said that after facing a setback from minority communities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Vijayan switched to majority appeasement. “Vijayan is a person who promotes majority and minority communalism according to the situation. He changes his words,” Mr. Satheesan said.

He said that Mr. Vijayan first welcomed Jamaat-e-Islami and later claimed that he had no connection with the organisation. “He said that for votes, his stand would not change on the Sabarimala women entry issue. But when he lost the parliament election, he apologised by visiting houses,” he said.

Mr. Satheesan alleged that the CPI(M) would not dare to take action against its party leaders accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case. “This Chief Minister is protecting dacoits and robbers. Now he is accusing Rahul Gandhi, who was questioned by the ED for 55 hours. The Chief Minister’s son received summons, but nobody knows what happened to it,” he alleged.

Responding to allegations of his links with the RSS, Mr. Satheesan said BJP workers stage protest marches to his residence regularly. “They have always worked strongly against me. BJP is working to defeat Congress,” he said, reiterating his claim that there is a CPI(M)-BJP “deal” in several constituencies.

On the allegation that he had attended an RSS event in North Paravoor, Mr. Satheesan said that earlier he used to attend events of all parties, including CPI(M), CPI and RSS, to present the Congress’ stand as part of debates. He said that when K.V. Thomas was part of the Congress, CPI(M) had invited him to its state convention in Kannur. “Earlier, parties used to invite leaders from other parties for events. Now no one invites others,” he said.

Mr. Satheesan stated that, unlike Mr. Vijayan, he did not win elections with the support of the RSS. “When I asked Mr. Vijayan in the Assembly about a meeting held with RSS leaders at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram, for which he arrived in a non-official vehicle, he remained silent, bowing his head. He has not given an answer to it till now,” Mr Satheesan said.

He said that he had released a book authored by RSS leader P Parameswaran in Thrissur. However, the same book was released in Thiruvananthapuram by former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, he added.

He said that his interview to a news channel was removed from Facebook after police approached Meta. “They even fear an interview. It was removed following police direction. What right do the police have to remove that interview as I did not say anything wrong in it,” he said.

When told that the Election Commission had directed police only to remove a comment in the interview, Mr. Satheesan asked what was wrong in the comment. “It was not done by the Election Commission but by the Kerala Police,” the Congress leader said.

He said it is fear that is ruling the State, which is common among all autocrats and added that it is Narendra Modi’s brother who is ruling Kerala. “Hitler had fear, Stalin had fear and Pinarayi Vijayan also has fear. Chief Minister Vijayan is a coward who fears even an interview,” he said.

Referring to a poem by Bertolt Brecht, he said all autocrats are driven by fear. “All autocrats have fear. The Chief Minister is also like that,” he said.