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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Sunday, lashed out at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, saying the state doesn’t need any advice on nationalism from the people who were not a part of the freedom struggle and serviced colonial rulers.
The CM was responding to Mohan Bhagwat’s allegation that the state governments of West Bengal and Kerala are “on the side of jihadi elements that are invoking the violence” there. In a speech, the RSS chief made on Saturday, he said, "Jihadi elements are acting out their violence in Kerala and Bengal, and while people are resisting, the state governments are supporting these anti-national forces by not fulfilling their duty, they (state governments) are on their side”.
The Kerala CM said that the RSS portrayed religious minorities as the "internal threat" to the country. Vijayan said that Bhagwat’s comments were a challenge to each Keralites and state as a whole.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, the Chief Minister wrote: “We all know the history & geography of the RSS’ nationalism, their activities/propaganda against the secular character of Indian constitution. Kerala need not be taught by head of an outfit which was subservient to the British with its top brass prohibiting participation in mass movements. Kerala has the unique distinction where patriotic Indians revolted against the British rulers even before the first freedom struggle of 1857.”
He added that the RSS got a foothold in many states by spreading terrorism in the name of religion, by making communally abrasive comments and by attacking minorities.
(This article has been published in partnership with The News Minute.)
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