BJP's Communal Agenda Won't Work In Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Taking on the NDA government at the Centre, Vijayan claimed that it was silencing the voice of the opposition in Parliament

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asserted that the BJP's polarisation agenda won't work in the southern state, which has always opposed communalism tooth and nail. Taking on the NDA government at the Centre, Vijayan claimed that it was silencing the voice of the opposition in Parliament.

The veteran Left leader was speaking at the AKG memorial programme at Perallassery on Wednesday. Apparently referring to Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany, who made a statement recently that his community can help the BJP if that party addresses the concerns of farmers, Vijayan said such "opportunists" do not represent the people of Kerala.

"The sangh parivar and its leaders should understand that the opinion of certain opportunists do not represent the mindset of the people of Kerala. Kerala has always adopted a strong stand against communalism. Be it minority or the majority. Both pose a danger to society. So, Kerala is not a place where BJP can easily propagate their agenda," the CM said.

In the 2016 Assembly election, he said the BJP secured one seat for the first time in the history of the state with the help of Congress.

"BJP has played all sorts of games since its Jan Sangh period to win a seat in the Assembly. Finally, they got one in 2016. We all now know how they got it. Congress lost all its votes in that particular constituency and helped BJP defeat the Left candidate." The CM further said that his party has publicly announced that BJP's account will be closed in the state in the 2021 election and it happened.

Recalling that there was a time when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru used to listen to communist leader AK Gopalan, who was the first Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Vijayan said, "However, these days, the BJP is trying to suppress the voice of opposition in the Parliament."

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Kerala CM took to Twitter calling for unity in progressive forces against the Centre. "Remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on this Shaheed Diwas is a political act as their revolutionary legacy is being appropriated by communal elements who had no stake in our freedom struggle. Progressive forces should unite to realise their dream of an egalitarian India," Vijayan tweeted.

(With PTI inputs)