Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 25 Keralam BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday accused Chief Minister VD Satheesan of practising “selective secularism” and questioned the ruling Congress and the CPI(M) over what he described as their support for a political culture that disrespects religious sentiments.
Chandrasekhar’s remarks came in response to a social media post by Satheesan about the arrest of a YouTuber for allegedly making communal remarks in a video claiming that a cafe in Fort Kochi displayed a statue of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and served beef, while being named after the holy city of Kashi.
The video, shared on Instagram, triggered widespread criticism, with Satheesan and Leader of Opposition and Marxist veteran Pinarayi Vijayan condemning the alleged communal remarks.
Fort Kochi police registered a case against Amrit Singh Darren, a YouTuber from a north Indian state, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) over the video.
In his post, Chandrasekhar said Keralam belonged to all Malayalees, who alone would decide the state’s present and future, including its food, culture and celebrations.
He also said Keralam was part of India and every Malayalee was an Indian.
While agreeing with the sentiment expressed by Satheesan, the BJP leader questioned the statue of Jinnah, the alleged justification of violence by proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hamas, and political alliances involving the Congress and CPI(M) with Jamaat-e-Islami, which he accused of being anti-secular and anti-constitutional.
“Do not encourage anti-India, anti-Hindu insults/discourse/actions/sentiment like Jinnah worship. In that, you will have our support. But selective secularism and selective talk of communal harmony will make you like every other fake politician before you. And we will resist it. Fully. Everytime,” the BJP leader told the CM.
He alleged that the two parties encouraged such political discourse and questioned how Satheesan would respond if a restaurant named after a Muslim holy city served pork.
Chandrasekhar also claimed that Vijayan had targeted him for speaking against what he described as Hamas’ radicalisation efforts in Keralam.
There was an exchange of words between Vijayan and Chandrasekhar after a former Hamas leader online attended a Palestine-related event organised in Keralam in October 2023. The CPI(M)-led LDF was at the ruling saddle then.
Citing Articles 19 and 19(2) of the Constitution, the former union minister said the right to freedom of speech and expression, along with the restrictions applicable to it, applied equally to every Indian.
He urged Satheesan to ensure equal sensitivity and respect for Hindus, Christians and Muslims and cautioned against what he termed anti-India and anti-Hindu insults and discourse.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that Keralam will not be a playground for communal hatred.
In an ‘X’ post, Chennithala said he had called for action against the vlogger spreading falsehoods and stoking communal suspicion about Varkala and Fort Kochi.
The registration of an FIR against him by Fort Kochi Police is a necessary step, he said.
“Our temples, mosques, churches, art and diverse communities are part of our shared heritage. No campaign of hate can erase that,” he said.
Chennithala said that freedom of expression is not a licence to incite communal enmity. “Keralam stands united. Hate will not divide us,” he said.
Congress leader and Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden said that the alleged communal remarks by the YouTuber were part of a planned attempt to damage Keralam’s reputation and tourism prospects.
Eden said the video, which allegedly linked a cafe’s display of a statue of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the serving of beef, could not be viewed as an isolated incident but had to be examined in the context of the YouTuber’s previous videos and statements.
Describing the video as an attack on the self-respect of Keralites, Eden alleged that a section of north Indian influencers was attempting to undermine the state’s tourism sector through paid and planned campaigns
“Fort Kochi and Mattancherry are major symbols of communal harmony. They have a rich history of spice trade and cultural exchanges, and Kochi is also the city of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which attracts artists from across the world,” he said.
Eden said attempts to communalise the region by focusing on beef and Jinnah were unacceptable and could create divisions among people.
Eden also questioned the YouTuber’s remarks about beef, and said that Uttar Pradesh is the largest meat-exporting state in the country.
Eden asked the YouTuber to raise the issue with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and to shut down meat-exporting firms.
He also questioned the YouTuber’s objections to beef being served at a cafe, noting that Sree Muruga Cafe in Petta, Trippunithura, named after Lord Muruga, was known for the popular combination of pazhampori (banana fry) and beef.
“If you go to Petta in Thrippunithura, you can enjoy good pazhampori and beef at Sree Muruga Cafe. It is a cafe named after Sree Muruga. So, I request him not to come to Keralam to spread such nonsense in the name of religion,” Eden said.
(PTI News)
