Thiruvananthapuram: In a Facebook post on Saturday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lashed out at the Union government against the decision to name Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio Technology's (RGCB) second campus after Golwalkar saying the move was "irrational".
He also alleged that by proposing the name of Golwalkar, the aim was to use the central research institution for political gains.
"RGCB is "Kerala's child", any decision with regard to its name should be finalised, taking into account the state's views," He said
Vijayan had recently written to Union Health and Science and Technology minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, urging him to instead name the institute after some eminent Indian scientist of international repute.
He said that "this as an attempt to divert the people's attention from the Left Democratic Front government's development and welfare activities during the crucial local body polls, and demanded to know what had been Golwalkar's contribution towards the growth and development of science.The Chief Minister alleged that the stand the RSS leader during the freedom struggle was not to confront the British.
"Till 1973, he was RSS sarsanga chalak. But never even once did he unfurl the national flag at the RSS headquarters during Independence Day," Vijayan added
Pointing out that Golwalkar was critical of democracy as it gave powers to people more than that whatwas necessary, he said the RSS leader was also a proponent of Manu Smriti, which he felt should have been India's Constitution.
Earlier,Dr Harsha Vardhan, who is also the minister of science and technology, had announced on December 4 that the second campus of RGCB would be named Shri Guruji Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar National Centre for Complex Disease in Cancer and Viral Infection.
He stated this at a curtain raiser session of the sixth edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) scheduled for December 22-25, held online and organised by RGCB
(From PTI with edits)