MALAPPURAM: Former Ponnani MLA and CPM leader P Nandakumar has landed in controversy with his remarks that the district is ‘the nest of religious fundamentalism and extremism.”
Nandakumar made the remarks at the inauguration of the extended district committee meeting of the CPM. In his welcome speech, Nandakumar said that there are some specialities as far as Malappuram district is concerned.
“It is the nest of religious fundamentalists and extremists. Communist party has the responsibility of organising secular forces,” he said. Nandakumar added that the party has to overcome its organisational weaknesses to take up new challenges.
CPM politburo member and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and central committee member K K Shailaja were on the stage when Nandakumar made the remarks.
Similar statements from CPM leaders targeting Malappuram district had courted controversies in the past too. A Vijayaraghavan, A K Balan and Saji Cherian were accused of portraying the district and the Muslim community in bad light.
Meanwhile, former minister K T Jaleel said that Malappuram is the ‘heaven of secularists.’ In a Facebook post issued on Saturday night, he said “the politics of Malappuram includes all colours. Red flag flew high in the district in 2006,” he added, without directly mentioning anything about Nandakumar’s remarks.
