Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan also said it is a tradition of the Congress to react to such statements for political gains.
(Image: PTI/File)
The Kerala Congress, meanwhile, lashed out at the CPI(M) claiming that there is an “unholy nexus” between the party and the BJP due to which it had come to power in the state for a second time
Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s statement that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had agreed to move ahead with the BJP in Karnataka to save his party, has kicked off a controversy in Kerala. Vijayan, too, hit out at the JDS chief, saying the statement is “delusional fantasy”.
“I am absolutely astonished by HD Deve Gowda’s recent statement! The mere notion that I would even entertain the idea of supporting a JDS-BJP alliance is nothing short of a delusional fantasy. It is utterly disgraceful for a seasoned politician like Deve Gowda to make such unfounded lies. @cpimspeak has been an unwavering and unyielding force in the battle against the Sangh Parivar. There is no room for ambiguity in our stance,” Vijayan posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The Congress, meanwhile, lashed out at the CPI(M) claiming that there is an “unholy nexus” between the party and the saffron camp. Opposition leader VD Satheeshan said the statement by Deve Gowda is quite serious. “The unholy nexus between the CPI(M) and BJP has led to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government coming to power for the second time. A party in alliance with the NDA is part of the Kerala cabinet; why has the chief minister not removed JDS representatives from his cabinet?” he asked.
Satheeshan further said there has been a compromise as far as the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam is concerned. “We are worried that, as part of this compromise, if the CPI(M) and BJP has come to some kind of understanding as far as the Thrissur seat is concerned, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
Responding to the reaction by the Congress, Vijayan said it is a tradition of the party to do so for political gains and to help the BJP. In Kerala, they share power with the BJP in local bodies, he added.
“Deve Gowda’s statement is untrue and completely absurd. He is lying to justify his own political upheavals. Janata Dal (Secular) is a party that has been standing with the Left Democratic Front in Kerala for ages. Their state leadership has a tradition of standing with the LDF in Kerala when the national leadership announced a different stand. At no point has the CPI(M) tried commenting or interfering in the internal affairs of that party. Even as chief minister, there is no need to interfere in their internal affairs. That’s not our way,” Vijayan said.
He added: “The Congress should not embarrass itself by going after Deve Gowda’s speech as an ‘improper affair’. There will be people in the Congress who have made connections with the BJP and benefited from it. They are the same people who have come out with statements now.”
JDS state president and MLA Mathew T Thomas said either Deve Gowda is trying to mislead the people or he may be “confused because of old age”. He said the JDS national plenary session in 2022 had adopted a resolution that they will be opposing the Congress as well as the BJP. He added that they will continue with the LDF in Kerala.
