Thiruvananthapuram, April 5: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sharply criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating that attempting to lecture on leftism in the context of attacks in Chhattisgarh is a “shameful display of political ignorance.”
Vijayan expressed his views on the social media platform X, pointing out that the laws currently being used by the BJP to intimidate minorities were created and upheld by Congress governments for decades. He questioned whether Rahul Gandhi has the courage to abolish these “harsh anti-conversion laws” in Himachal Pradesh, where Congress is in power.
He further stated that historically, Congress has paved the way for the political rise of the RSS family, and therefore, it has no right to question the left’s commitment to secularism and the rights of minorities.
Meanwhile, rebel leader G. Sudhakaran from the CPI(M) has also launched a direct attack on Chief Minister Vijayan. The former minister and four-time MLA dismissed Vijayan’s claims of protection, emphasizing his independent political identity.
Sudhakaran, hailing from Alappuzha, mentioned that he joined the party at the age of 15 and has been active in the communist movement for 63 years. He remarked that during the 1967 era, Vijayan was almost unknown in the Travancore region and was limited to Malabar’s Thalassery.
Sudhakaran’s sharp comments came as he shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi at an electoral event, marking a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
After being sidelined by the party following the 2021 assembly elections, Sudhakaran had maintained a low profile. However, ahead of last month’s election announcement, he declared his intention to run as an independent candidate, subsequently receiving support from the Congress-led UDF.
Alappuzha, traditionally considered a stronghold of the left, has long witnessed factionalism. A significant political upheaval occurred here in 1996 when senior CPI(M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan, a strong contender for the chief ministership, lost to a local Congress candidate. This incident is seen as an example of internal party discord.
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