Kannur: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran stirred up another controversy when he claimed that he had sent men to protect RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) shakhas when the CPM tried to destroy them.
Sudhakaran made the controversial remark in Kannur while speaking at the M V Raghavan memorial programme.
Responding to the claim, CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that he was not at all surprised as RSS and Sudhakaran have been helping each other for a long time.
"While I was part of Congress (Organisation), there was a time when the CPM had tried to destroy the RSS shakhas launched in places like Edakkad, Thottada and Kizhunna. There was a situation prevailing in those places where shakhas could not be operated. I was the person who had sent people to give protection to the shakhas in these places," he said.
Congress (Organisation) came into being after the 1969 split of the Congress party. The Congress(O) later merged with the Janata Party.
However, Sudhakaran made it clear that he had done this not because of any affiliation towards the right-wing outfits and their shakhas but out of feeling that it was not appropriate for a democratic believer to be silent when the democratic rights were being destroyed in a place where fundamental rights were prevailing.
When the statements triggered a controversy, Sudhakaran later came up with an explanation saying that his act was to protect democracy and that all parties have the right to function in the country.
"Doesn't the RSS have the right to function? Is it a banned outfit? What is wrong with my statement? I was keeping away from the Congress party at that time and was part of Congress (Organisation). Policy-wise, that party was close to BJP in Indian politics at that time," he said.
Meanwhile, the ruling CPM said the statement by Sudhakaran was not surprising and the Congress and the RSS had been working closely in Kannur since 1969. "Two main accused in the E P Jayarajan shooting case are RSS members. It is clear as day that the Congress used the RSS as part of a conspiracy hatched by Sudhakaran and others. There is nothing special in Sudhakaran's revelation. It only underscored that Congress and RSS have been working in a complementary manner" Govindan added.
Govindan also accused the Congress of adopting a "soft Hindutva" stance along with the BJP which takes an "extreme Hindutva" stand.
(With PTI inputs)
