Congress and BJP asked for resignation, the governor said – monitoring the situation
Congress and BJP asked for resignation, the governor said – monitoring the situation
A video clip purportedly showing Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian speaking “derogatory” about the Constitution has landed the Left Democratic Front government in the state.
In the video, Mr Cherian is seen describing the Constitution as “British-made and anti-working class”. He is heard saying that the Constitution “forgives exploitation” and is written in a way that helps to “rob” the people of the country.
Mr Cherian was speaking at a CPI(M) program at Mallappally in Pathanamthitta on Sunday. A video clip surfaced on social media on Tuesday, the controversial speech has created a political storm in Kerala.
Protest
Congress and BJP have demanded the resignation of the minister. Congress workers took out a march to his office in Alappuzha. The workers of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha burnt the effigy of Shri Cherian in front of the Secretariat.
However, the government has kept silence on the issue. Mr Cherian told the assembly that the media had misinterpreted his words. His speech was not fully broadcast. “I only remarked that despite 75 years of constitutionally guaranteed freedom, social justice remains a distant dream for most Indians,” he said.
A BJP delegation led by former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and pitched for the party’s case for Mr. Cherian’s removal from the cabinet.
Mr Khan later told presspersons that the Raj Bhavan was monitoring the situation. He said that the Chief Minister is aware of development.
Both the Congress and the BJP have warned that they will agitate against the government until Mr. Cherian steps down.
CPI(M) Politburo member MA Baby said Mr Cherian had taken note of the current political situation in which right-wing forces were destroying the secular and democratic foundations of the Constitution.
The controversial remark could have significant legal and political consequences for Mr Cherian.
In 1985, Kerala Congress leader and former minister R. Some felt a faint echo in the current uproar over the stormy political controversy that led to Balakrishna Pillai’s resignation from the Congress government. A court had interpreted Pillai’s remarks that the federation had failed Kerala and Kerala. The state should adopt the “Punjab Model” movement openly as a separatist and he should be sentenced to eight months in jail.
Satisan’s allegation
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said Pillai’s remarks were less than Mr Cherian’s. He said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should ask for his resignation or face public anger.
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran said Mr Cherian had defamed BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, by saying that the founding fathers had given a parrot to the British colonialists.
BJP state president K. Surendran said Mr Cherian’s words amounted to sedition. He has written a letter to the Raj Bhavan demanding the dismissal of the Raj Bhavan.