'Look at the names’: Kerala Minister's remarks on Malappuram, Kasaragod results trigger controversy
Alappuzha (Kerala): Kerala Minister Saji Cherian has sparked a political controversy with remarks suggesting that electoral outcomes in Malappuram and Kasaragod reflect growing communal polarisation in the state. His comments, made while criticising the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, have drawn sharp reactions from the Opposition.
Cherian accused the UDF of fuelling communal tensions for political gain and alleged that the party was willing to align with both minority and majority communal forces. He reiterated that the CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had consistently opposed communalism and claimed that Kerala had not witnessed communal riots in the past decade under the LDF government. In contrast, he referred to incidents such as the Marad riots of 2002–03 and clashes in Alappuzha and Vizhinjam, which occurred during earlier UDF regimes.
Addressing questions on communal polarisation, the minister said indications were already visible in northern Kerala’s electoral patterns. “Look at the names of those who won in Malappuram and Kasaragod,” he remarked, cautioning against underestimating the trend.
Cherian also accused Satheesan of attempting to disturb communal harmony through statements made during the Kerala Yathra led by Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar. He alleged that these remarks were aimed at creating religious and caste-based divisions to consolidate minority votes, adding that the Opposition leader was aware of the dangers posed by both minority and majority communalism.
Responding to Satheesan’s criticism over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan allowing SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan to travel in his official vehicle, Cherian dismissed the allegation, stating that there was nothing improper in the gesture. He said community organisations such as the NSS and SNDP function autonomously and that cooperation with them did not amount to political “social engineering”.
Emphasising Kerala’s tradition of coexistence, Cherian said Hindus, Muslims and Christians in the state lived together harmoniously and warned against divisive politics that could push Kerala towards the kind of polarised electoral environment seen in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. He maintained that the state government remained committed to protecting all faiths and ensuring the freedom to practise religious traditions peacefully.
Later, amid criticism, Cherian issued a clarification, stating that his remarks had been distorted and misinterpreted. He said he did not intend to single out any community but meant that Kerala should not move towards a situation where Muslim-majority areas are politically dominated by the Indian Union Muslim League and Hindu-majority regions by the BJP. He made the clarification while speaking to the media on Monday morning.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
