A row has erupted in Kerala over a remark by senior CPM leader A Vijayaraghavan comparing minority and majority communalism
The opposition Congress-led UDF came down heavily on the acting secretary of the Kerala CPM for his remark on Wednesday, saying he was talking "in the language of BJP". Vijayaraghavan on Thursday claimed that his remark was misinterpreted by the media.
At a press conference here, Vijayaraghavan denied having said that minority communalism was more dangerous and claimed media misinterpreted the remark by taking a portion of his speech made at Mukkam near Kozhikode.
Addressing the meeting organised at Mukkam on Wednesday evening as part of "Vikasana Munnetta Yatra" being undertaken ahead of the coming assembly polls by the ruling LDF, the CPM leader said majority communalism could not be defeated by condoning minority communalism.
Hitting out at Vijayaraghavan, the Indian Union Muslim League, a key partner in the Congress-led UDF in the state, said Viajaraghavan was "talking in the language of BJP".
"It cannot be treated as a slip of tongue. These words are from his mind," IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty told reporters.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said while the CPM has the responsibility to protect minorities of the country from "all sorts of attack from the BJP", Vijayaraghavan was using "the language of the RSS".
BJP state president K Surendran described Viajyaraghavan's statement as 'hypocrisy' aimed at cheating the people belonging to the Hindu community at the time of the assembly elections, likely to be held in April-May.
While launching a house-to-house campaign, Vijayaraghavan had last month attacked the Congress, alleging it has 'surrendered' to the IUML.
"The opposition (in Kerala) represents religious hatred. The Congress has surrendered to the Muslim League, he had said in Thrissur.
(With PTI inputs)
