THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: People of Kerala showed extreme restraint towards BJP leaders' attempts to denigrate the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said."Scores of BJP leaders, including national president Amit Shah and various central and other state ministers ridiculed Kerala in their speeches during the party's Jana Raksha Yatra. But neither the government nor the people pay back in the same coin," Pinarayi said while inaugurating the southern leg of the LDF's Jana Jagrata Yatra here on Saturday.
Pinarayi said the BJP leaders' words showed their culture.
"A leader called for dismissing the government while another wanted to gouge CPM workers' eyes. They made maximum provocation, but we did not respond. This should not be viewed as our weakness, but our culture," he said. The Chief Minister said the BJP leaders' provocation and Kerala's response were noted by the entire country."State government provided the leaders all facilities and ensured their safety. I wonder whether this would have been the case if a rival party conducted a rally in the BJP-ruled states. Those governments would have banned or attacked the rivals," he said.
"We are not against ideological campaigns. In fact, we do not fear the BJP. Their biggest enemies are their leaders' words," he said. He said the BJP's yatra did not evoke any response from the people. Participants of the yatra were propel brought from other states. Pinarayi said BJP and RSS were trying to break the secular structure of the country. Ruling BJP is toeing the RSS line against federalism, democracy and secularism.
The chief minister said the country was going though a huge financial crisis. The country is suffering the perils of demonetisation and GST implementation. BJP is trying to divert peoples attention from these burning issues by flaring up communal passions. Pinarayi said the state will not compromise secular culture of state. Yechury lashes out at BJP, Congress for anti-farmer policies,
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