In Kerala, Yogi slams CPI-M govt’s, Cong’s ‘politics of appeasement’
UP CM cites ‘love jihad’ and Sabarimala temple issues to attack the two parties ahead of the state’s polls
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday cited the ‘love jihad’ and Sabarimala temple issues to attack the ruling CPI-M government of Kerala and the opposition Congress and said both were in a race to implement appeasement politics in the state.
Inaugurating the ‘Vijay Yatra’
of BJP state president K Surendran in north Kerala’s Kasaragod ahead of the assembly elections, the Yogi said in 2009 when the Kerala high court sought action against ‘love jihad’, both (CPI-M and Congress) were in a hurry to deny it. But today many states, including Uttar Pradesh had enacted law against it.
“Love jihad is a move to establish an Islamic state. When the high court ordered the police to investigate it in 2009, both parties denied it and supported such elements,” he said.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday cited the ‘love jihad’ and Sabarimala temple issues to attack the ruling CPI-M government of Kerala and the opposition Congress and said both were in a race to implement appeasement politics in the state.
Inaugurating the ‘Vijay Yatra’ of BJP state president K Surendran in north Kerala’s Kasaragod ahead of the assembly elections, the Yogi said in 2009 when the Kerala high court sought action against ‘love jihad’, both (CPI-M and Congress) were in a hurry to deny it. But today many states, including Uttar Pradesh had enacted law against it.
“Love jihad is a move to establish an Islamic state. When the high court ordered the police to investigate it in 2009, both parties denied it and supported such elements. Appeasement politics is carving Kerala and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will put an end to it,” he said, adding the CPI-M was even planning to open a ‘halal bank’ in the state. He was mentioning the government support to open a Sharia-compliant banking institution in north Kerala.
“The high court had said ‘love
jihad’ will turn Kerala into an Islamic state. But the government was sleeping and encouraging these elements. Now many state governments have enacted law to contain the scourge,” he said.
He also criticised the government’s handling of the Sabarimala temple issue. “The government has hurt feelings of believers. I laud BJP workers who stood with devotees. While the state government was trying to destroy Sabarimala, in Uttar Pradesh we are building a temple that will be the sole property of the nation,” he said.
Kerala had witnessed unrest in 2018 when the government tried to implement the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala, removing all restrictions on women of child-bearing age.
Yogi also took a dig at the Kerala state government over its pandemic control measures. “Kerala chief minister once laughed at UP, citing its health infrastructure. Today Kerala
reports a high case-load and the world is laughing at it. Rising cases expose the state government’s failure. In UP we have 24 crore population and we managed the virus situation well,” he said.
Reacting to Yogi’s statements, the CPI-M said it did not need a certificate from a leader who always spewed communal venom. “Earlier also he made such statements. We don’t expect anything else from him. His utterances will not make polarisation here,” said party leader A Anandan
The ‘Vijay Yatra’ is seen as the launch of the BJP’s election campaign in the southern state, where it is in third position. Union home minister Amit Shah will address the concluding session of the rally in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7. The party is planning to get many national leaders, including union ministers Niramala Sitaraman and Smriti Irani, during the yatra.