Kochi (PTI): Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on Friday said it was surprising that the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have not yet reacted to the alleged slight of B R Ambedkar by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Parliament a few days ago.
Kuzhalnadan, at a press briefing here, said all the CMs of non-BJP states, including M K Stalin from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, have strongly opposed Shah's remarks about Ambedkar, but both Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan have been silent so far.
"The vigour shown by the CPI(M) in defending Veena T (Vijayan's daughter) was not shown by it when Ambedkar was insulted. It shows what is the status of the CPI(M)."
"I believe the reason for this is that Pinarayi Vijayan is scared of reacting against Amit Shah. He is scared of what his and his daughter's fate would be if he reacts against Shah. There are a lot of central agencies probing cases against Vijayan and his daughter," the MLA from Muvattupuzha said.
He said the Left party was heavily indebted to the people belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. Despite that it has not reacted against Shah.
"It is highly unfortunate that the Kerala CM has not reacted or taken a stand on the issue. It is condemnable and an insult to the state. This has not been the stand of Kerala in the past."
"The CPI(M) has weakened its political standing to protect the CM's family, especially his daughter," Kuzhalnadan contended.
Shah on Tuesday had said in the Rajya Sabha that Congress leaders would have got a place in heaven had they chanted the name of God rather than following the fashion of repeating Ambedkar's name.
The Home Minister's remarks have resulted in intense protests from the opposition inside and outside the Parliament with the Congress demanding his resignation.
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Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.