The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) on Saturday criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his “unprecedented overture” to newly inducted Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam.
At a press conference here, RSP central secretariat member N.K. Premachandran said the winsome manner in which Mr. Kannanthanam was feted by Mr. Vijayan at Kerala House in New Delhi left secular and democratic forces in the country baffled.
The bonhomie between the two hinted at the start of a highly secretive and symbiotic relationship between the current leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala and those at the helm of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.
Mr. Vijayan laid out a grand feast for Mr. Kannanthanam. He openly burnished the former bureaucrat’s image as an efficient administrator. Mr. Kannanthanam returned the favour by hailing Mr. Vijayan as his political guru, well-wisher, and long-time mentor.
On Jaleel’s remarks
Local Self-Government Minister K.T. Jaleel matched Mr. Vijayan and hailed Mr. Kannanthanam’s secular credentials at the lunch. He had to eat his words within an hour after Mr. Kannanthanam remarked that foreign tourists should confine themselves to eating beef in their own countries.
Mr. Premachandran said Mr. Vijayan and Dr. Jaleel would do well to remember that Mr. Kannanthanam had defected to the BJP from the CPI(M) after relinquishing the legislatorship he had won on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ticket. Mr. Kannanthanam’s real image was that of a political betrayer.
Case of E. Ahamed
He pointed out that no CPI(M) leader had extended the same courtesy to E. Ahamed when he was inducted into the previous Manmohan Singh Cabinet.
In Kerala, the CPI(M) was raising the spectre of the RSS brand of fascism to attract minorities towards its fold. For electoral gains, it had made tactical grassroots-level arrangements with the radical elements in the minority community.
The dubious plan was akin to “scratching one’s back with a flaming kindling”, he said.
RSP State secretary A.A. Azeez said Oommen Chandy was the ideal choice as Leader of the Opposition and Ramesh Chennithala was not of the same mettle.
He said the government had allowed a rich private businessman to take over the heritage Halcyon Palace at Kovalam because the wards of two top leaders of the CPI(M) in Kerala were his employees.
