THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has come out in support of its Rajya Sabha member John Brittas who was summoned by the chairman of the house and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar over a complaint against his article that was allegedly critical of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a statement, the CPM state secretariat said the move against Brittas showed the dangerous situation that the country has landed in. The party said Brittas was an MP who puts up a fierce fight against the BJP’s communal agenda and neglect towards Kerala. The party said an explanation was sought from the MP for quoting the controversial remarks Shah made against Kerala during a speech in Karnataka.
The CPM said many Sangh Parivar leaders, including Amit Shah, were making statements and speeches demeaning Kerala. An earlier remark likening Kerala, which leads in various human development indices, to Somalia had been widely discussed, the party reminded.
The CPM secretariat said Kerala had become a model in India by coming up with alternatives to the globalisation policies of the Centre and had also protected secularism. This earned it hatred from BJP leaders. Movies against the state being churned out should also be seen in this context, the CPM said in an indirect reference to the movie ‘The Kerala Story’.
“Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees the right to speech and freedom of expression. It is one of the basic principles of democracy,” the party state secretariat said.