Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday termed Israel's attack on Iran as "Zionist terrorism" and urged the Indian government to take a clear stand condemning the same.
Terming Israel's actions as a threat to world peace, Vijayan said the Indian government should take a clear stand with regard to the conflict in West Asia and raise a strong protest against Israel.
The CM further said that the international community should raise its voice against the attack on Iran in violation of international laws and all etiquette.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, he also alleged that the attacks were carried out with the support of imperialist America.
He urged the countries across the world to intervene, under the leadership of the United Nations, and stop Israel's attacks,
Regarding those returning to the state in the wake of the Israel-Iran conflict, Vijayan said that the Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in Delhi has been instructed to arrange necessary facilities for such individuals.
He said that accommodation will be arranged at Kerala House for Keralites arriving in Delhi from Iran or Israel and will be sent to the state in accordance with the availability of flights.
The CM said that as the situation in Iran and Israel continues to be worrisome, Keralites wishing to return to the state should register their names on the NORKA Global Contact Centre's helpline numbers -- 18004253939 (Toll Free Number), +918802012345 (International Missed Call).
Information about those registering via these numbers will be forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassies in Iran and Israel for facilitating their return, he said.
Under Operation Rising Lion, Israel has conducted multiple strikes on the territory of Iran. Tehran retaliated after warning Israel and the military flare-up entered its sixth day on Wednesday.
Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday denied any political cooperation between the CPI(M) and the RSS during the Emergency period, calling the right-wing group a “communal force” that had targeted Marxist cadres.
Labeling the RSS a "fascist outfit", Vijayan said the Marxist party has never found any common ground with it since the organisation’s inception in 1925.
The Left party has never made any compromise with the RSS at any point of time, he asserted.
The Chief Minister made the statements in the wake of CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan 's recent remarks that the Marxist party had collaborated with the RSS out of necessity during the time of Emergency, triggering a political debate on the eve of the Nilambur bypoll.
Though the state secretary clarified his statements earlier in the day, the opposition Congress alleged that it was a deliberate move by the CPI(M) to win right-wing votes by reminding the RSS and the BJP about their past alliance.
However, Vijayan claimed that it was the Congress party which cooperated with the RSS at the national and local levels on various occasions during these years.
"There was no relation between the CPI (M) and the RSS during the emergency period. Not just that, we didn't have any connection even with the political party of Jan Sangh during that period," he said categorically rejecting Govindan's remarks.
The Left veteran alleged that the RSS had been considering the Communist activists as the internal foes and had killed 215 Marxist party activists in Kerala in these years.
"RSS is a communal group which has been waiting with weapons to murder us."
Even during the post-emergency period of 1977-79, the RSS had killed many Left cadres, he alleged.
Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday criticised the display of a Bharat Mata portrait at the Raj Bhavan, stating that the Governor's office should not be used to promote the ideological agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Responding to a question about the controversy surrounding RSS-linked images displayed at the Kerala Raj Bhavan, Vijayan told a press conference that the Governor’s residence must remain neutral and should not be turned into a platform for political propaganda.
"It is unacceptable to make the Governor's residence a venue for pushing the RSS agenda. This trend is a direct challenge to the Constitution," he said.
The Chief Minister was referring to a recently displayed portrait of Bharat Mata, holding a saffron flag, at an event inside the Governor's official residence.
He pointed out that the flag in the image is not the Indian national flag but one associated with the RSS. "They may accept it, but insisting that everyone else must accept it is not right," the Chief Minister said.
Vijayan added that the image of Bharat Mata shown did not even feature the actual map of India in the background. "We are not obliged to accept anything that is not recognised by the Constitution," he said.
A notice from the Raj Bhavan reportedly stated that only officially approved symbols will be displayed at government events in future.
Vijayan said the Governor must also be aware of this position. "The Raj Bhavan should not be reduced to the level of an RSS shakha (branch)," he added.
The remarks come amid an escalating political row between the state government and the Governor over the use of ideological imagery in official spaces.
Referring to the boycott of an Environment Day programme organised at the Raj Bhavan by state Agriculture Minister P Prasad over the display of the Bharat Mata image, Vijayan said that was the state government's clear stance on the matter.
"We may have personal affinities towards many ideologies, faiths and actions related to them. But at government events, only government-recognised symbols should be present. A deviation from that was seen at the Raj Bhavan, and the state Agriculture Minister rightly said it could not be accepted," the Chief Minister said.
"Later, the Governor also became convinced and clarified that such symbols would not be included in official programmes," Vijayan claimed.
Whatever the case may be, the government's position is very clear -- programmes must follow the recognised format, and no exhibitions should be held based on individual interests, he added.
