Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday continued to accuse the Congress of not being part of anti-CAA agitations in the country and sought to know from senior leader Rahul Gandhi whether the national leadership had barred its state unit from participating in the protests.
He alleged that the party’s top brass had asked the state unit to withdraw from the anti-CAA agitations.
“This is just our guess. It may be right or wrong. If we are wrong, they (Congress) can tell that. Rahul Gandhi is touring Kerala... He can tell that what you (CM) have said is not fact,” Vijayan said.
Gandhi was not saying anything against it, as it is a fact, the chief minister alleged.
As Lok Sabha polls are just four days away in the state, Vijayan was addressing an election meeting in Mattannur, in this northern district.
Targeting Gandhi, the Left veteran further said the Congress leader was carrying out a tour across the country when the CAA came out.
Though he had reacted to all the problems being faced by the country and the world, he did not respond to the contentious law, Vijayan alleged.
The CM also claimed that Gandhi could not raise his voice on such issues because of the presence of leaders with a Sangh-Parivar mindset with him.
Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, he said no civilised nation in the world has made religion the basis of citizenship.
He alleged that when everyone came forward protesting against the CAA and to safeguard secularism, the Congress did not raise any significant protests against the BJP government’s move.
“No civilised nation has decided citizenship on the basis of religion. No country divides refugees on the lines of their religion,” Vijayan said.
India is making religion the basis for deciding citizenship. It is destroying secular values, he charged.
While several national leaders, including those from Communist parties, were arrested for protesting against the CAA in New Delhi years ago, no Congress leaders were among them, Vijayan alleged.
The CM accused the 18 Congress-led UDF MPs from the state of attending a feast hosted by the party president on the day when the national capital witnessed the fiercest agitation against the CAA.
Vijayan further asked why the Congress, which is claimed to be a secular party, cannot oppose the RSS agenda being implemented in the country.
The LDF government in the state has been adopting a strong stand against dividing people on the lines of religion, he said.
The Marxist veteran also claimed that the southern state is witnessing a pro-LDF wave during the election campaign and that the ruling front would achieve a remarkable success in the Lok Sabha elections to be held on April 26.
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