A cafe in Fort Kochi that allegedly serves beef and displays a statue of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah has sparked a political row in Keralam, with BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accusing chief minister VD Satheesan of “selective secularism”.
He also questioned the Congress and the CPI(M) over what he described as their support for a political culture that disrespects religious sentiments.
He added that Keralam was part of India and every Malayalee was an Indian. He questioned why some people glorified Jinnah, whom he accused of dividing India on religious lines, and why some politicians allegedly justified or defended proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hamas and their violence. He also questioned political alliances involving the Congress and CPI(M) with Jamaat-e-Islami, which he described as anti-secular and anti-constitutional. He pointed to the cafe’s name, saying it was named after Kashi, the holy Hindu city.
In a social media post responding to Satheesan, Chandrasekhar said Keralam belonged to all Malayalees, who alone would decide the state’s present and future, including its food, culture and celebrations. “I agree with CMs sentiment in his post,” Chandrasekhar said, before raising questions about what he described as a developing political culture in the state. Chandrasekhar alleged that some people believed they could get away with insults and insensitive behaviour because they received a “free-pass (encouragement)” from the Congress and CPI(M). Home minister Ramesh Chennithala responded to the controversy adn said Keralam would not be a playground for communal hatred.
