A potentially incendiary war of words between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) threatens to roil politics in Kannur.
Alleged anti-Hindu comments by Speaker A.N. Shamseer at a function at the Kunnathunadu GHSS in his constituency on July 21 in Thalassery appeared to have triggered the CPI(M)-BJP verbal stand-off.
Kannur’s political temperature seemed to rise when Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers staged a belligerent march to Mr. Shamseer’s office in Thalassery.
The police stopped the marchers from storming the MLA’s office. The BJYM workers raised slogans protesting Mr. Shamseer’s alleged “anti-Hindu” comments.
Later, BJYM general secretary K. Ganesh allegedly warned Mr. Shamseer of severe consequences if he “denigrated” the Hindu faith.
Mr. Ganesh allegedly averred that there was a limit to Hindu society’s patience.
The allegedly menacing riposte to Mr. Ganesh’s supposed statement came from CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan at a public meeting to spotlight Manipur violence in Thalassery.
Mr. Jayarajan warned the BJYM that the CPI(M) would reply in kind to any violence against Mr. Shamseer. He staunchly defended Mr. Shamseer’s words.
“Mr. Shamseer spoke with a sense of responsibility. He has not bashed legends, myths or gods of any religion. The Speaker merely observed that myths are no substitute for science, and citizens should strive to spread scientific awareness without identifying any particular religion,” Mr. Jayarajan said.
Mr. Jayarajan held Prime Narendra Modi primarily responsible for “placing blind literalist approach to lore above scientific temperament.”
Mr. Jayarajan said the BJYM’s invective against Mr. Shamsheer reflected Sangh Parivar’s Islamophobia and its Machiavellian ploy to divide the country into religious lines with an eye on majority community votes. He said there was no space for hate speech in secular Kerala society.
BJP State president K.Surendran demanded the government expel Mr. Jayarjan from the post of Khadi Board vice-chairman for making threatening to eliminate BJYM leaders who disputed Mr. Shamseer’s anti-Hindu comments.
He said the BJP did not take Mr. Jayarajan’s threat lightly. “The CPI(M) in Kannur has a history of sending its political rivals to the morgue,” he said. The police should register a case against Mr. Jayarajan for inciting violence against the BJYM rank and file.
Mr. Jayarajan’s threat to harm BJYM leaders indicated that CPI(M) had not forsaken the path of political violence, which has claimed hundreds of lives across the political divide in Kannur over the years, he said.
(With inputs from Kannur bureau)
