Attingal: Speaking at the campaign for the BJP’s Attingal candidate Sobha Surendran on Sunday, Kerala BJP President P S Sreedharan Pillai passed a reprehensible and communal remark directly targeting the Muslim community. His comment was in reference to the Balakot controversy over the number of people killed in the air strike where the BJP has given some ad hoc figures with no confirmation from the Indian Air Force. He said that Muslims could be identified by removing their clothes, referring to circumcision. Such remarks come after the Election Commission issued gag orders on Yogi Adityanath, Mayawati, Azam Khan and Maneka Gandhi for violating poll code with their communal speeches.
Referring to the question about the number of people killed in the Balakot strike, he said, “When our forces came back to the country after risking their life, our Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and Pinarayi Vijayan are demanding they (security forces) should get down and check those killed…their country, their caste and their religion. If they were Muslims, they can be easily identified. If you undress them, you can make out (if they are Muslim).”
His comments have sparked a political row and drawn widespread criticism from other political parties. CPI (M) leader V. Sivankutty has filed a complaint with the EC and the Attingal police against Pillai for fomenting communal tensions in the State. He said, “Mr. Pillai has made reprehensible remarks against the Muslim community with the hope that it would garner votes for the BJP. It is the kind of speech no political leader has ever made in Kerala. The speech is not just a violation of the model code of conduct, but also a criminal act under IPC Section 153A for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion.’’
Further, the leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, has condemned Pillai’s remarks and has said that it is an insult to the Muslim community for which Pillai should publicly apologise. IUML leader and Malappuram MP PK Kunhalikutty have also severely criticised the BJP chief’s remark.
In spite of the video going viral; Pillai has denied making any such comments saying that it has been misinterpreted and has threatened to take legal action. He said, “How the identification process is being held…I was referring to Pak terrorists. It did not amount to insult to Muslims. Why Congress and CPI(M) leaders should get agitated over it? I will take legal action against the leaders who have raised the issue” adding that his speech was heavily edited in the video to put his party in bad light.
In the run up to the general elections, such attempts to polarise the communities for the sake of vote bank certainly calls for action from the Election Commission.