Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the BJP-led Centre of promoting communalism in the country while claiming his government had zero tolerance toward any kind of divisive tactics.

Addressing an election convention here as part of the Thrikkakara bypoll, Vijayan highlighted the arrest of former Poonjar MLA PC George for delivering communally-charged hate speeches on multiple occasions.

“The Sangh Parivar rejoiced in his hate speech and expressed solidarity,” said Vijayan. “But this is Kerala. It is governed by the Left Democratic Front. Here you cannot speak as you please. We have a secular culture,” said Vijayan.

Vijayan said his government's stance against communalism was in contrast with that in the Centre. “The BJP-led union government is trying to promote communalism. They are even using places of worship as a weapon to create disharmony.

"The RSS wants to divide and compartmentalise the society. To achieve that they use any means, even food.

Muslims and Christians are being attacked and such occurrences are becoming regular throughout the country,” said Vijayan.

“Minority communalism and the communalism of the majority are the same things. They are both communalism and the LDF government has a firm stance against it.”

 

'No point sermonising to the …'
Pinarayi Vijayan attributed a popular saying in Malayalam to PC George, who is notorious for making controversial statements.

“Isn't there a saying that there is no point sermonising to a certain thing? That has come true in this case,” said Vijayan. The saying he cited is, 'pothinodu vedham othiyit karyamilla' (there is no point sermonising to a buffalo).

“He delivered a communally charged hate speech in Thiruvananthapuram and the court directed him to not do so. But then he repeated that, but with much more vigour in various other places, and when he reached Ernakulam for an event at a place of worship, it became more intense,” said Vijayan.