Vijayan blocking path for Dalit CM in state: Congress
Kuzhalnadan’s remarks during the campaign for the bypoll in Chelakkara assembly constituency has triggered a war of words between the Congress and the CPM
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on Monday accused chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of blocking the path for a Dalit CM in the state and ensuring no representation for the community in the cabinet by sending senior CPI(M) leader and former Devaswom minister K Radhakrishnan to Parliament.
Kuzhalnadan’s remarks during the campaign for the bypoll in Chelakkara assembly constituency has triggered a war of words between the Congress and the CPM amid bypoll contests in three constituencies in the state.
In a purported video, Kuzhalnadan, used for the campaign in Chelakkara, could be seen saying, “Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is responsible for ensuring no representation for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in the cabinet.”
“It is the first time in history that no Dalit leader is in the cabinet. Similarly, when shadows of a possible Dalit chief minister loomed, the CM blocked the path of such a leader. Both these issues will play out in the minds of the community while voting in Chelakkara,” he added. HT could not verify the veracity of video.
The Chelakkara bypoll was necessitated after K Radhakrishnan, sitting CPI(M) MLA belonging to the SC community, was elected to Lok Sabha from Alathur. In charge of temple affairs and welfare of SC/ST/OBC communities in the cabinet, Radhakrishnan was replaced by Mananthavady tribal MLA from OR Kelu. Currently, there is no Dalit representation in the cabinet.
In response to the remarks, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said that the MLA lacks any kind of integrity. “He is playing caste politics in a bid to get a few votes for his party. Chelakkara’s voters will give him a fitting response,” he said.
Chelakkara goes for the bypoll on November 13.
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