Minister Sivankutty alleges Raj Bhavan behind ABVP protests; BJP accuses CPI(M) of ‘violence'
He warned that if the Left government uses force to suppress protests, it will face retaliation in the same manner.
Hitting back at the CPI(M), BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the Left party of trying to suppress protests by resorting to violence against the protestors.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 22 (PTI) Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday claimed that the protests by the BJP's youth and student groups against him, over the 'Bharat Mata' controversy, were aimed at causing riots in the state and were allegedly held on instructions of the Raj Bhavan.
Earlier in the day, Sivankutty told reporters that he has been attacked and his travels obstructed during the last couple of days after he walked out of a programme at the Raj Bhavan where a portrait of 'Bharat Mata' — as seen in RSS events — was displayed.
He said that as a minister, MLA and a citizen, he has the right to protest against the actions of the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and that is what he did.
'The Governor has said that he will continue with it (the portrait) and we have not responded to that,' he added.
Subsequently, the BJP youth wing Yuva Morcha and student organisation — Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — attacked him and obstructed his vehicle at various places in the state during the last two day, the minister claimed.
Meanwhile, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, in an interview given to BJP mouthpiece Janmabhumi, said that the concept of 'Bharat Mata' became more clear to him when he was jailed during the emergency period in the country.
He said that during that time he saw the concept of Bharat Mata as being above ideology and politics.
'I got a strong urge to work more for Bharat Mata. The inspiration to become a 'sangh pracharak' also became stronger during that time,' he said in the interview.
Sivankutty, during his press conference in the morning, also alleged that at one such protest, ABVP activists tore apart the national flag, a claim reportedly denied by the student organisation.
The minister also alleged that the protests and attacks against him were being carried out on the instructions of the Raj Bhavan, 'but they were unable to gather enough youth for the same'.
He said that the protests against him by the two organisations were carried out by a handful of youngsters who acted as 'suicide squads' and jumped in front of his moving vehicle.
ABVP and Yuva Morcha activists had waved black flags at the minister's vehicle in Kozhikode on Saturday and also burned his effigy in protest against his walkout from the Raj Bhavan event.
Sivankutty said that ABVP and Yuva Morcha should realise that showing support to the Governor, who is allegedly acting contrary to the Constitution, will turn people against them.
He also claimed that two hardcore RSS activists in the Raj Bhavan were advising the Governor to act in this manner.
The minister said that he will not name them, but everyone knows them very well.
The Congress too spoke out against the Governor's recent actions and said the Raj Bhavan should not be turned into a venue for political activities.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph also said that protests against the Governor's actions need not be taken to the streets.
Later in the day, Chandrasekhar, in a statement, claimed that it was the CPI(M) which was behind the violence against the ABVP and Yuva Morcha protestors because the BJP exposed the Left party's 'anti-nationalism' and 'appeasement politics'.
He also accused the Left parties of being 'intolerant' towards protests against them.
The BJP leader said that protests against the Governor by the Students Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India — the student and youth wings of the CPI(M), respectively — were acceptable, but agitations against a Left minister were not.
This is an 'authoritarian style' of communist parties, he claimed.
He warned that if attacks on BJP and related organisations' workers are not stopped, the Left parties and their leaders will have to pay a heavy price.
'If the CPI(M) is trying to suppress the protesters by taking the law into its own hands, and if the police decide to help them by standing by, then the national movements, including the BJP, will take to the streets,' the BJP leader said.
He also said that criticising and insulting the 'Bharat Mata', a sentimental concept for the country, was not acceptable and whosoever dares to do so will face a strong protest in a democratic manner.
Chandrasekhar further warned that if the Left government's decision was to suppress the protests by force, there were those on the other side who were capable of retaliating in the same manner.
The southern state has been witnessing a tussle between Arlekar and the Marxist party-led LDF government over the display of 'Bharat Mata portrait' during official events at the Raj Bhavan here. PTI HMP HMP ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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