Pinarayi Vijayan. Photo: Manorama/ File
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday slammed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for showcasing their version of the Bharat Mata inside the Raj Bhavan. “Let the RSS symbol remain theirs; the Raj Bhavan should not be used to showcase it,” Vijayan told the media.
“The RSS’s stance towards the Constitution is well known. They openly rejected the Constitution and expressed dissatisfaction with it. What did they compare the Constitution to?” he asked. “They wanted Manusmriti to be the guiding text instead of the Constitution. This was made clear through an editorial in the RSS mouthpiece, Organiser.
”They even demanded that India’s national flag be saffron in colour. This is an organisation that has historically displayed intolerance towards the very principles of the Constitution,” he said.
“In Kerala’s context, it is worth asking — did the RSS ever demand the merger of Travancore with independent India? The RSS at that time stood with the Diwan in his favour.
“And what about the map displayed at the Raj Bhavan? Is it truly the map of India? At first glance, it doesn’t appear so. The RSS has long held the view that the southern states should be turned into a Hindu Rashtra. But this idea has no place or support in our Constitution.”
“The Raj Bhavan is a constitutional institution — it cannot and should not be reduced to the status of an RSS branch office.”
He further pointed out that the CPM is transparent about its ideology and political stance. ”The CPM never hides its position. We always speak loudly about our ideology and political stance,” he asserted.
”Our party members and activists do not indulge in promoting such images or symbols,” the Vijayan added, taking a subtle dig at Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, alluding to a previously circulated photo that showed him lighting a lamp in front of Golwalkar’s photo.
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