Former BJP Kerala president K Surendran on Saturday accused the Congress and Left parties of opposing Bharat Mata and the saffron flag to appease Muslim communalists.
Speaking to media persons in Kochi, Surendran alleged that the Congress and Left parties were engaging in vote-bank politics by creating a controversy over the portrait of Bharat Mata displayed at the Raj Bhavan.
Stating that the concept of Bharat Mata has existed since the beginning of the nation, Surendran said that state ministers have no authority to object to the display of the Bharat Mata portrait or the saffron flag at the Raj Bhavan.
He further alleged that by opposing Bharat Mata and the saffron flag, CPI(M) leaders and Left government ministers were attempting to gain political mileage. “It is a clear conspiracy to appease a section of the electorate and make gains in the upcoming local body and Assembly elections,” he claimed.
Surendran also remarked that those opposing Bharat Mata today are the same people who once mocked Yoga. “Eventually, just like they accepted Yoga, they will install Bharat Mata in Cliff House too,” he said.
In response, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday criticized Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, stating that the installation of a portrait of Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag at the Raj Bhavan was an insult to the Republic of India and its Constitution. He said the image, associated with the Sangh Parivar, is not an official emblem recognized by the Indian Constitution.
Meanwhile, a black flag protest by Yuva Morcha workers against General Education Minister V. Sivankutty in Kozhikode over the Bharat Mata controversy escalated into a clash when they were stopped by SFI workers.
Yuva Morcha activists waved black flags as Sivankutty arrived at Jubilee Hall in Tali to attend a programme related to the SFI national conference. The protest march was blocked by SFI activists, leading to a scuffle. Police intervened and detained Yuva Morcha workers involved in the confrontation.
BJP City District President Prakash Babu, who arrived shortly after the incident, demanded strict action against the SFI members involved in the clash.
In a separate development, senior BJP leader and former National Council member N. Sivarajan stirred controversy by calling for the replacement of India’s national flag with a saffron flag. He made the statement while addressing a protest organized by the BJP against what they termed as insults to Bharat Mata by both the LDF and UDF.