Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday condemned Maharashtra BJP minister Nitesh Rane's controversial remarks comparing the southern state to Pakistan as “extremely provocative.” Rane recently sparked outrage by referring to Kerala as a “mini Pakistan” and alleged that “all terrorists vote for Gandhis,” targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who won Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the 92nd Sivagiri Maha Sammelan in Thiruvananthapuram, CM Vijayan said Rane’s remarks reflected the Sangh Parivar’s deep-seated bias against Kerala. “The Sangh Parivar targets regions where it struggles to gain influence by spreading hate campaigns to marginalise and isolate them. This statement is an example of that approach,” Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister asserted that a minister making such inflammatory remarks is unfit for office. “Such statements violate the minister's oath of office and disrespect the Constitution. The ruling party at the Centre must take a clear stance on this issue,” he added.

Amid widespread criticism from opposition parties, Rane earlier attempted to justify his comments, stating that Kerala is an integral part of India and that he was raising concerns about religious conversions and "love jihad" in the state. He further argued that Kerala's declining Hindu population should be a national concern.