THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sensing an opportunity to win back the majority votes that it lost in recent years, the Congress state leadership on Thursday rallied behind veteran leader A K Antony who had asked the leadership not to alienate the majority community.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and Vadakara MP K Muraleedharan backed Antony. However, Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan remained skeptical. Meanwhile, realising Antony’s game plan, CPM and BJP flayed Congress for his remarks. After inaugurating the Congress’ foundation day on Wednesday, Antony had said those going to temples or applying tilak on their foreheads should not be sidelines. He had also urged the state leadership to ensure both majority and minority communities are brought together to unseat BJP from power. His remarks kicked off a political debate as Congress has often been accused of toeing a soft Hindutva line.
However, Satheesan on Thursday welcomed Antony’s statement and said Congress was not the party that recruited people to BJP. “In the assembly earlier, I had said people who apply tilak on their forehead and wear saffron dhoti are not BJP supporters,” he told reporters.
Muraleedharan too said he does not agree with terms like ‘minority appeasement’ and ‘soft Hindutva’. He flayed the BJP for failing to show the broad-mindedness conceptualised by Hinduism. Reacting to the developments, CPM state secretary M V Govindan said Antony’s words were an open declaration of the soft Hindutva stand adopted by Congress.
Cong biggest anti-Hindu party: BJP
Govindan told reporters in Kochi, “Antony did not reject soft Hindutva stand. Instead, he said it should be adopted. CPM has always been against this and will oppose it.” He said BJP could not be defended by the ‘soft Hindutva’ stance, which was what the Congress was doing.
“It will simply be the bridge that connects more people to BJP. Several Congress leaders support soft Hindutva,” he said. Govindan said all who apply tilak on their foreheads are not supporting this stance. “Believers are not religious fundamentalists. Those indulging in communalism have no faith. Any believer has the right to act as per their faith.
They won’t be portrayed as communalists,” he said. BJP state president K Surendran said Congress was the biggest anti-Hindu party in India and had always promoted minority politics. “Antony’s statement is just deception. Congress has always adopted an anti-Hindu stand when in power. No other party has harmed the majority community like Congress,” he said.
Congress not a community organisation: Unnithan
Taking an indirect swing at Antony’s remark, Unnithan said Congress was not a community organisation, but had an inclusive system. He also called for a revamp in the party. “Congress’ organisational system is in trouble. It is in an inanimate state. If no reorganisation is done before the 2024 elections, Congress will suffer a huge setback,” he said.