Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday strongly criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over his remarks on the second part of ‘The Kerala Story’. He accused the CM of having 'double standards' and of selectively interpreting what freedom of expression means.
Referring to the online participation of a Hamas leader in a pro-Palestine event held in Malappuram, Kerala, in 2023, Chandrasekhar told mediapersons in Delhi that when 'Hamas comes here and tries to radicalise our youth through speeches', the Chief Minister calls it freedom of expression. But if someone makes a movie about 'love jihad', then where is this freedom of expression and Article 19? I don't know what to say about this CM. It is all a selective interpretation by him. If the CM does not like the movie, don't watch it. Let those who want to watch it, do so,” he said. Chandrasekhar further claimed that when he raised his voice against Hamas, he was labelled a communalist.
“Should I call the CM a communalist for speaking against the movie? It shows their double standards. If you want to do politics, it should be based on some principles. If Hamas has freedom of expression, then so do the makers of the 'Kerala Story' film. The BJP will not allow such double standards,” he stated.
Chandrasekhar also challenged the CPI (M) to hold a public debate on the issue. “If you have the courage, let us discuss this openly,” he said. He added that ‘love jihad’ was not fiction but a reality, and if Vijayan chose to ignore it, 'that is his problem'.
He alleged that the Chief Minister was silent on the issue because he was seeking votes from a particular community. He said it was time for the CPI(M) to leave power. "I agree with the Congress to the extent it is calling for CPI (M) to go out. But, we even want the Congress to go out. We want people to have good governance in Kerala," he added.
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