Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a counterattack on rebel LDF MLA P V Anvar, who recently labelled him communal. In a public address at a CPM event in Kozhikode Tuesday afternoon, Pinarayi made an elaborate attempt to reiterate his party's position on secularism. For most of his hour-long speech, Pinarayi repeatedly attacked the RSS and the Sangh Parivar by revisiting communal incidents reported in BJP-ruled states. "Where is our country headed?" he remarked repeatedly.

Pinarayi said his party, CPM, has 'stringently opposed communalism' and 'firmly upheld secularism' at all times. Once the background was laid out, Pinarayi discussed matters concerning him, as alleged by Anvar, albeit without naming the Nilambur MLA, who has become a thorn in the flesh of his Left government since launching a tirade against the state police and CPM.

"From my side there was never an attempt to undermine any district or a particular community. Everyone knows that," Pinarayi said. It was his response to Anvar's allegation that the Kerala CM insulted the Muslim-majority Malappuram district by projecting it as the hub of gold smugglers. "I oppose communalism but that doesn't mean I oppose a particular community. I oppose RSS, the most communal force in the country. But does that mean I oppose Hindus? I oppose minority communalism; does that mean one opposes minorities?" Pinarayi said.

Gold smuggling: Malappuram connection
Anvar had accused Pinarayi of putting Malappuram in a bad light by projecting the district as a hub of gold smugglers. Pinarayi said he never did that but gave his reasons for the number of gold smuggling cases that he pinned on Malappuram at a press conference.

The CM said most of the gold smuggling cases in Kerala were listed under Malappuram because a chunk of those seizures happened at the Karipur Airport. "In 2020, of the 147.79 kg of gold seized from Kerala airports, 124.47 kg was at Karipur. In 2020 and 2021 there were fewer international flights due to COVID-19. The gold seizures at Karipur for each year from 2022 to the present were 71.31 kg, valued at Rs 37 crore, 32.81kg, priced at Rs 19 crore and 17kg, valued at 11.62 crore, respectively. Besides, of the Rs 122 crore-worth hawala money seized in Kerala, Rs 87 crore were from Malappuram," Pinarayi said.

"These are facts. Some people are attempting to project these facts wrongly. Why do some people get irritated when gold smugglers and those accused in hawala scandals are caught?" Pinarayi said. "Do people who criticise all this, think the police shouldn't take action in such cases?" he added.

'Anvar's futile attempts'
Throughout his speech, the chief minister declined to name Anvar, though he made it explicit. "Some people have a hidden agenda to torpedo the system of governance. Why are they doing it? For whom? Who is behind it? If we pay attention, we will understand."

Defending the CPM's position to ignore Anvar's outbursts, Pinarayi said the party had a system. "CPIM has its organisational structure. It is not a party that will react to allegations made on streets."

Pinarayi went on to praise the secular values of Malappuram and said communal forces would never be able to touch it. "It is futile to think that you could blabber as you wish with that tongue on rent simply because there is someone behind you. If you think you can project the CPIM and its leaders as communal, that is just an illusion. We have seen plenty, remember that," Pinarayi said.