Thiruvananthapuram: CPM Politburo member and senior leader A Vijayaraghavan’s remarks on Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's Lok Sabha victories in Wayanad on Sunday sparked strong reactions from Congress and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders, reported PTI.

Congress leaders accused Vijayaraghavan of pandering to the Sangh Parivar with his statements, while IUML leaders criticised him for attempting to fuel communal tensions among the majority.

Speaking at a party gathering in Wayanad on Saturday, Vijayaraghavan reportedly alleged that Rahul Gandhi's electoral success in the high-range constituency was due to support from communal groups and claimed that extremist factions were present at Priyanka Gandhi's campaign events. Amid the stir, Vijayaraghavan reiterated his stance in a Facebook post.

Reacting sharply, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal condemned Vijayaraghavan for his "communal" rhetoric. "Even the Sangh Parivar might hesitate to use such language against Rahul Gandhi," he remarked, questioning if the CPM officially endorsed these views. "How can a Politburo member of the CPM speak in such communal terms?" Venugopal asked. "This is a deliberate effort to please the BJP. It’s not just a CPM comment—it’s a BJP script aimed at crucifying Rahul Gandhi," he alleged.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan accused the CPM of adopting the Sangh Parivar’s communal agenda post-Parliamentary elections. "The CPM is indulging in majority appeasement to curry favour with the Sangh Parivar and evade scrutiny by central agencies," Satheesan said during a press interaction in Kochi. Satheesan also mocked Vijayaraghavan, stating, "Only he would claim that Priyanka Gandhi won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat by over four lakh votes with terrorist support."

IUML leaders P K Kunhalikutty and K M Shaji also criticised Vijayaraghavan's comments, terming them baseless and insensitive. Kunhalikutty said, "Claiming that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s victories stemmed from minority communalism is an attempt to provoke majority communalism." He added, "This is reflective of BJP's political strategies nationwide. The CPM is testing a similar model in Kerala."