Untrue, protest worthy: Vijayan's rejoinder to Modi's statement on CAA protests in Kerala

In a strong rejoinder to Narendra Modi's statement about anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Prime Minister's remark in the Rajya Sabha was "untrue" and "protest-worthy".

Insisting that Kerala is at the forefront of struggles against the CAA, Vijayan said, "Kerala's secular ethos is one that is opposed to all forms of communalism. Our secular state has the strength to fend off any sort of infiltrators in this movement as well."

Vijayan's rejoinder came a day after Modi said that the Kerala Chief Minister was, on one hand, warning about extremist elements infiltrating anti-CAA protests and, on the other, his party was supporting them in Delhi.

Accusing the Opposition parties of misguiding and misinforming the nation about the citizenship law, PM Modi said, "The violence that happened was dubbed as right to agitation. Repeatedly, the Constitution was invoked. In its name, attempts are being made to cover up undemocratic activity. I can understand the compulsion of the Congress but our Left Front friends from Kerala should understand… they should have known… that Kerala's Chief Minister has said extremists groups have a hand in agitations in Kerala. He had said it in the Assembly."

"Not just that. He had warned of strong action. Jis arajakta se aap Keral mei pareshan hain, uska samarthan aap Delhi mei ya desh ke anya hisson mei kaise kar sakte hain (the anarchy that is troubling Kerala, how can you support it in Delhi and other parts of the country)," Modi had said while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Upper House.

Earlier this week, Vijayan had told the Kerala Assembly that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), tried to foment communal hatred by intruding in peaceful protests against the amended citizenship law.

Clarifying that his remarks on SDPI were made in "good faith", Vijayan said the Prime Minister must rectify his statement that "maligns the protests in Kerala". "It is unbefitting for a prime minister to be one of those who are disappointed with the fact that Kerala is leading the struggle against communalism of RSS and SDPI," he said, insisting that the "discriminatory CAA must be resisted with the bulwark of secularism".

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)