Secular front of regional parties will emerge at national level: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was putting forth an idea of 'soft Hindutva' against the BJP at the Union government. This would further weaken the Congress, the senior CPI(M) leader opined. Vijayan was referring to Rahul Gandhi's Jaipur speech where he called for a rule of Hindus in India over Hindutva.

The Congress could not provide a credible alternative against the BJP in New Delhi. A secular alternative of regional parties will emerge at the national level now and the Left could provide it direction. The upcoming Party Congress of the CPI(M) will deliberate the issue, the senior member of the CPI(M) politburo said. He was inaugurating the CPI(M) Ernakulam district conference.

The Congress leader's endorsement of politics grounded on religion is undermining secularism. The only way to fight the BJP's communal politics is by allying with regional parties, he recommended.

"Rahul Gandhi's statement is part of the soft Hindutva stand adopted by the Congress party long ago. He has only re-emphasised that policy in Jaipur," Vijayan said

Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that India is a country of Hindus and not Hindutvadis who want to be in power at any cost. "I am Hindu and not Hindutvadi," he said while addressing the rally against inflation in Jaipur. He further called for a 'rule of Hindus' after ousting Hindutvadis.

Because of this 'soft Hindutva' policy of the Congress party, several of its leaders have now joined the BJP. "People have lost faith in the Congress. The followers of that party have lost faith in it. In such a scenario, the Congress could not be seen as an alternative against the BJP," the Chief Minister said.

There is no difference between the economic policy of the Congress and the BJP. However, with regional parties, the secular outlook is very strong in many states, and the Left should work to rally them against the BJP at the Union government, the left leader said.

"Obviously, a secular alternative will emerge at the national level," Vijayan said optimistically.

Regarding the political situation in Kerala, the CM alleged that the BJP and the Congress-led UDF are trying to put hurdles in the path of functioning of the Left government. Both the UDF and the BJP are trying for a communal polarisation in the state. The social media platform is being misused for the purpose, he added. He further attacked the Indian Union Muslim League saying the UDF partner was allying with outfits like Jamaat-e-Islami to target his government.

The Congress ally is strongly influenced by the ideologies of radical religious outfits as seen by the slogans raised, said the CM, referring to the recent IUML rally in Kozhikode against the state government's Waqf Board policy.