Thiruvananthapuram: In a politically intriguing gesture, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan showered praises on Muslim League while singling out their ally, Congress, when he called again for a joint protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA). The tactical move was made while replying to the debate on Motion of Thanks at the assembly on Wednesday.
Attacking the Congress in the assembly, the Chief Minister asked Muslim League to advise Congress to launch a joint protest against CAA. Muslim League also welcomed Pinarayi's proposal to launch a joint protest.
The Chief Minister said the country's very survival was at stake, and its Constitution was under threat. "If we can come together, the confidence it would give the people would be huge," the Chief Minister said.
Recalling the joint agitation against the CAA held on December 16, Pinarayi said: "It was a small programme where the joint agitation took place at the Palayam Martyr's Column, Thiruvananthapuram but the message of unity that came out of it reached the whole country.
The Chief Minister disapproved the "sudden and surprising reluctance" of Congress leaders to be part of a joint agitation. He was hinting at KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran, who was vehemently against Congress leaders sharing the dais with CPM leaders and had also succeeded in getting his stand approved by the Congress High Command.
Ramesh Chennithala, the opposition leader, however, corrected the Chief Minister's blame that the Congress had turned its back against a joint agitation. "It was after the meeting that we passed a joint resolution in the Parliament. And later when I suggested that we go to court against the CAA, you had agreed. So it is not true that we have not done anything together after the all-party meeting," Chennithala said.