BJP National Secretary Anil K Antony has hit out at the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala for insulting Hindu gods. Quoting local news reports, the BJP leader said it’s very disappointing and shocking to see the top echelon of Kerala’s ruling party continuously insult the sentiments of crores of Hindu believers across the world.
“A few days back the speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Sri. Shamseer insulted Lord Ganesha by calling him a myth. Today another senior @CPIMKerala leader Sri. P Jayarajan insults Lord Parashuram by talking on very similar lines. It’s very disappointing and shocking to see the top echelon of Kerala’s ruling party continuously insult the sentiments of crores of Hindu believers across the world for their short-term political expediency and for appeasing a certain section of the minorities they see as their important vote bank. They all should unconditionally apologise for their statements,” Antony tweeted on 6th August, Sunday.
A few days back the speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Sri. Shamseer insulted Lord Ganesha by calling him a myth. Today another senior @CPIMKerala leader Sri. P. Jayarajan insults Lord Parashuram by talking on very similar lines.
— Anil K Antony (@anilkantony) August 6, 2023
It’s very disappointing and shocking to… https://t.co/AnLHIBIXCC
He added, “Does any of the other I.N.D.I.A. alliance partners that share the stage with this party including @RahulGandhi and the @INCIndia endorse these views? Is anyone willing to correct them / disown these statements?”
Antony’s attack came a day after senior CPI(M) leader from Kannur P Jayarajan reportedly insulted Bhagwan Parashuram while delivering a speech in Kasaragod on 5th August, Saturday.
The former CPI(M) MLA said that Lord Parashuram is a myth and that the story of the origin of Kerala is made up by Brahmins. Making casteist remarks, Jayarajan said that the Kerala origin story was “cooked up by Brahmins to enslave the people and gives Brahmins rights all over Kerala.” He also called the Hindu belief in the origin of Kerala a myth.
On 21st July, Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer made similar insulting remarks for Hindu Deity Lord Ganesha while addressing a speech during a program at a school in Ernakulam. He said that the Centre should teach the children about accomplishments in science and technology instead of Hindu myths. He used Lord Ganesha and Pushpak Vimana as an example to call out “Hindu myths”.
Responding to a question on who invented the airplane, Shamseer said the Wright brothers. He added that Hindus believe Pushpak Vimana to be the first airplane as mentioned in Ramayana. He followed this up with the story of Lord Ganesha saying that Hindus believe that he acquired his elephant face through plastic surgery, which he called a myth. Shamseer said, “They are promoting such myths in place of science.”
A complaint was lodged by the BJP and the comments were met with large-scale protests by the Nair Service Society (NSS) which organized “Faith Protection Day” on 2nd August. The organization had asked all its members to visit Ganesha temples. They were later booked by the Kerala government for “unlawful assembly”.
Hindus from New York joined at Ganesh temple to protest Kerala speaker AN Shamseer’s anti Hindu remarks. pic.twitter.com/VyWQZQ8tK6
— Dr. Jayasree Nair (@jayasreenair1) August 5, 2023
NSS General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair reportedly said, “That is foolish, who found out about it? These people say that if you go to heaven there are hoories, who went to heaven and returned to tell them that there are hoories in heaven? So commenting on that has no meaning.”
Nair Service Society (NSS) GenSec has used strong language against Shamseer and AK balan, demanded an apology AND subsequent govt action to ensure the religious insult is assuaged. pic.twitter.com/kSnuvAydEa
— Padma Pillai (@lotophagus) August 2, 2023
The BJP too had demanded an unconditional apology from the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly saying that the leader had hurt Hindu sentiments.
VIDEO | "The BJP demands an unconditional apology as the remarks have hurt the sentiments of crore of Hindus across India," says BJP leader @anilkantony on Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer's remarks. pic.twitter.com/pyjJCryY0S
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 3, 2023
Shamseer issued a clarification saying he is not against any religion. However, it should be noted that he pitched science against “Hindu” myths thereby targeting the Hindu religion alone.
VIDEO | "I am not against any religion and I respect all religious sentiments and beliefs," says Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer amid row over his remarks on Hindu Gods. pic.twitter.com/QNDFYUOml1
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 2, 2023
Even as controversy was brewing over Shamseer’s insulting statement, Kerala CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan too said Lord Ganesha is a myth. Shockingly, when asked about Allah, he said not all beliefs are myths.
While addressing a press briefing on the controversial remarks made by the Speaker, Govindan said, “Is Ganapati science then? Let us look at myths as myths only. The formation of Kerala is also a myth, right? We are not against believers.”
But when asked if Allah is a myth, he said, “I didn’t say all Gods are myths. Unlike Hindus, Muslims don’t have 1000s of Gods. They believe in a higher concept single God!”
CPM State Secretary MV Govindan said that Hindu God Ganapathy is a myth with so much confidence two days back.
— Nirmal Jyothi (@majornirmal) August 4, 2023
But today he claims that he did not say such a thing and took an U-turn.
Internet is the biggest enemy of communist party. #Kerala #Politics #ANShamseer… pic.twitter.com/GOeHXFk8r7
The Kerala Assembly is likely to erupt today as the BJP has surrounded the CPI(M) government on the back-to-back controversial comments by the latter’s leaders targeting the Hindu faith.
