Latest news with #Chandrasekhar
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress trying to bring ‘anti-secular' Jamaat-e-Islami into mainstream politics, alleges Kerala BJP leader
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) accused the Congress of indulging in politics of opportunism, stating that although the party claimed to be protecting the Constitution and secularism, it sought help from an outfit such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, and was attempting to bring the latter into mainstream politics. The Congress had for the first time openly taken the support of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the recent Nilambur Assembly by-election in the State, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said at a press conference. 'Earlier, their alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami was kept secret owing to some shame in Congress and their partners,' he said. Congress leaders previously considered the Jamaat-e-Islami to be a dangerous organisation, and even the late Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had spoken against it, Mr. Chandrasekhar said. However, in desperation to win elections, the Congress was now aligning with the outfit as part of its opportunistic politics, he added. Alleging that the Jamaat-e-Islami was against secularism, democracy, and believed in Islamic governance, the BJP leader said other communities had now realised how the Congress had fooled them for votes, and was resorting to the appeasement of the Muslim community. The party had allied with Islamic outfits in different parts of the country, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, he alleged. The Congress had no development agenda and represented only corruption and appeasement, he said. 'Once upon a time India's largest national party [the Congress] has now nothing to offer for the people of Karnataka economy is in shambles. Just before 2023, Karnataka was one of the strongest economies,' Mr. Chandrasekhar said, responding to a query.
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, driven by opportunism: BJP
Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday accused the Congress of being in alliance with 'Jamaat-e-Islami, a proscribed, anti-democratic, anti-Constitution, and anti-national organisation, driven purely by sheer political opportunism', while speaking about protecting the Constitution and secularism. The Rajya Sabha MP's attack came after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, at an event organised by the Imarat-e-Shariah, said that if the Mahagathbandhan bloc returns to power after the Bihar Assembly elections due later this year, it will 'throw the Waqf Amendment Act in the dustbin'. Alleging that the Congress was pursuing a policy of appeasement, Chandrasekhar claimed that in Bihar the Congress was working in 'alliance with Imarat-e-Sharia', and in southern states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, 'it is aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami'. 'This is the height of Congress's shameless politics, fueled by desperation,' he said. 'In Karnataka, Congress even has tacit understanding with groups like SDPI and PFI. We have seen earlier as well how Congress has followed a policy of appeasement even in matters of national security and terrorism,' he said. During the bypolls to Kerala's Nilambur Assembly seat — which falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — he alleged that the Congress 'openly took the support of this dangerous organisation Jamaat-e-Islami'. In the bypoll, the Congress pulled off a stunning victory against the CPI(M), and wrested the seat from the LDF. Slamming the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Chandrasekhar said, 'On one hand, Rahul Gandhi and Congress roam around with a copy of the Constitution in their hands and talk about secularism, on the other hand they fight elections in alliance with an anti-national, anti-democratic and anti-constitutional organisation that believes in Islamic rule. This is the real face of Congress' opportunistic politics,' he said. 'Congress has, for decades, practiced the politics of incitement, fear, and deception. Today, people from all communities have come to see the truth about Congress that its only consistent strategy is Muslim appeasement,' he said.
United News of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
BJP slams Cong for pact with Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala bypolls, calls it 'double standards'
New Delhi, July 2 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today launched a scathing attack on the Congress for its alliance during the Nilambur Assembly by-election in Kerala with Jamaat-e-Islami, an organisation that, it alleged, has long opposed democracy, the Indian Constitution, and secular values. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Kerala State President of the BJP and former Union Minister while addressing the media, traced the controversial history of Jamaat-e-Islami, saying that it has openly advocated for the implementation of Sharia law in India and rejected the core principles of democracy and secularism. In support of his claims, the BJP leader referred to a 2018 statement by Congress's former Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, who had referred to Jamaat-e-Islami as 'dangerous and anti-national.' Chandrasekhar accused Congress of double standards, saying, 'On one hand, leaders like Rahul Gandhi often parade the Constitution, symbolising their commitment to secularism, while on the other, they forge alliances with radical and anti-national groups like Jamaat-e-Islami.' He emphasised that the Congress had allied with Jamaat-e-Islami in the recent Nilambur by-election, a seat that falls within the Wayanad parliamentary constituency once represented by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Congress won the seat in the bypolls, which marked the first time they officially acknowledged their alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. 'This is the true face of Congress politics: Constitution in one hand, secularism on the lips, and a dangerous partnership with Jamaat-e-Islami in their pursuit of power,' said Chandrasekhar. The BJP leader accused Congress of indulging in a 'politics of appeasement,' particularly Muslim appeasement, which he argued had been the party's central strategy for decades. He noted that while the Congress had historically relied on Jamaat-e-Islami for support in Kerala, these alliances were previously kept under wraps. 'Now, under pressure from Jamaat-e-Islami, Congress has openly acknowledged the alliance,' he remarked. Mujeeb Rahman, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, had recently acknowledged that the BJP was the only party in India that had never sought support from the radical group, while other parties, including Congress, Left, and RJD, had consistently done so, Chandrasekhar added. Shifting the focus to national security, Chandrasekhar recalled instances where, it said, Congress had distorted facts and undermined the nation's security interests. He pointed to the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, accusing Congress of suggesting that the RSS was behind the attacks instead of Pakistani terrorists. He also referenced the Batla House encounter, where Sonia Gandhi had defended the terrorists. Chandrasekhar also condemned Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan for calling a Hamas leader who attempted to radicalize children in Kerala a 'freedom fighter.' He likened this language to that used by Pakistan to justify terrorism. In his closing remarks, the BJP leader accused Congress of abandoning any meaningful dialogue on development, governance, or economic issues. Instead, he argued, the party has increasingly resorted to religious appeasement in a desperate bid to regain political relevance. He pointed to the party's failures in states like Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, where it has struggled to address key issues of governance. UNI AJ ARN GNK 1509
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
With Kerala's new DGP appointment, why the 1994 Koothuparamba firing is being recalled
The appointment of 1991-batch IPS officer Ravada Chandrasekhar as the new DGP and the state police chief on Monday (June 30) has brought back the 1994 police firing incident at Koothuparamba, in Kannur, into focus. Five young CPI(M) men were killed in the firing, and another man, whom the party called a 'living martyr', became bedridden and died last year. In 1998, the CPI(M)-led government registered a murder case against Chandrasekhar, who was one of the police officers in the dock at the time. In 1994, when the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government was in power in Kerala, Marxist rebel leader MV Raghavan, who had formed the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) after being ousted from CPI(M), was the Cooperation Minister. Raghavan had started a new medical college in Kannur, under the cooperatives sector, the first such medical college in India at the time. However, the CPI(M) youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), had long been on the warpath against the idea of a self-financing medical college. It argued that the model would lead to the commercialisation of higher education in Kerala and make it inaccessible to the public. On November 25, 1994, when Raghavan reached Koothuparamba to inaugurate a bank branch, DYFI activists black flagged and waylaid him. The melee resulted in police firing on DYFI workers, killing five of them. An injured victim named Pushpan was bedridden for three decades. The 1991-batch IPS officer was appointed as the assistant superintendent of police for the Thalassery sub-division, which includes Koothuparamba, two days before the firing. He was also present in Koothuparamba on that day. The Justice Padmanabhan Nair commission, which probed the incident, said of Chandrasekhar, 'He had acted in compliance with the orders of the executive magistrate. However, the ASP ought to have exercised discretion vested with him carefully.'' Acting on the commission report, the CPI(M) government in 1997 directed police to register a murder case against Raghavan, Deputy SP Hakeem Bathery and executive magistrate T T Antony. The next year, then-DIG Jacob Punnose submitted a report to the court, listing Chandrasekhar as an accused in the case. Subsequently, Chandrasekhar, who was then SP, was placed under suspension in November 1998, but was later reinstated. The officer petitioned the High Court over the FIR against him. It was later quashed, and the decision was also upheld by the Supreme Court when the CPI(M) government challenged the HC order. Why is the CPI(M) facing heat over Chandrasekhar's appointment? Koothuparamba victims are among the CPI(M)'s most celebrated martyrs, and the incident is often projected as a symbol of the fighting spirit of the cadres. As a result, the CPI(M) appointing an officer who was once blamed for the killing of party workers has become a political issue. The Congress has also criticised the decision. The CPI(M) state secretary, M V Govindan, said the Union Government (through the UPSC) had suggested three names and the state had to pick one among them. 'The appointment is not based on any clean chit given by the party. The court had quashed the case against Chandrasekhar, who was an alleged accused in the case. It was the UDF regime that killed our five comrades. They (the UDF) now need not come as advocates of the martyrs,'' said Govindan. Three decades since the firing, the CPI(M) has seen various shifts. A CMP faction founded by MV Raghavan was eventually merged with the CPI(M) in 2019. Further, the CPI(M) has embraced Raghavan's son, MV Nikesh Kumar, who is now a district committee member of the party in Kannur. Further, the Koothuparamba agitation was against the commercialisation of professional education in Kerala. In the years since then, the CPI(M) has itself helped establish self-financing colleges. On March 25 this year, the Kerala assembly passed a draft Bill that will now allow entry to private universities in the state. At every such policy shift, Opposition leaders remind the CPI(M) about the Koothuparamba firing.
The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
Congress alleges Centre & CPIM ‘compromise' as RA Chandrasekhar takes charge as Kerala DGP
As Chandrasekhar assumed office, opposition Congress alleged his appointment was a 'political compromise' between the ruling CPI(M) in the state and the BJP-led Centre. Chandrasekhar, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre and a native of Andhra Pradesh, was appointed Kerala's police chief Monday, succeeding Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retired the same day. Chandrasekhar was on central deputation as special director in the Intelligence Bureau and took charge as DGP in Thiruvananthapuram Tuesday. Thiruvananthapuram: The appointment of Ravada A. Chandrasekhar as Kerala's new Director General of Police (DGP) has sparked a political controversy in the state, with the opposition Congress raking up the 1994 Koothuparamba police firing case in which five Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists were killed. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal alleged that Chandrasekhar was only recently posted in the Prime Minister's security team. Venugopal claimed that another officer, Nitin Agarwal, was also shortlisted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) but was overlooked due to disagreements with the central government. 'The serious matter here is that the new DGP is a political compromise between the central government and the CPI(M). There's no doubt about it,' he said. Chandrasekhar was posted as assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Thalassery, Kannur, just two days before the Koothuparamba incident in November 1994. On the day of the incident, activists of DYFI, CPI(M) youth wing, were protesting against the then UDF government's education policy, which allowed government quota seats to be given to management. They blocked the car of then minister M.V. Raghavan who had arrived to inaugurate a cooperative bank's evening branch in Koothuparamba. Police opened fire on the protestors, killing five DYFI members and injuring several others, including a youth named Pushpan, who remained bedridden until his death in 2024. The incident remains etched in public memory and is often referenced by CPI(M) leaders and on campuses across Kerala as a symbol of police brutality against party activists. Pushpan, often referred to as a 'living martyr', continues to be commemorated in party songs. A judicial inquiry in 1997 found the police action unwarranted. Subsequently, Chandrasekhar, then deputy SP Abdul Hakkim Bathery, then sub-divisional magistrate T.T. Antony, and others were charged with murder and criminal conspiracy by a Kannur court. In 2012, the Kerala High Court quashed the charges against all the accused, citing the absence of government sanction for prosecution. Venugopal said he has no personal issue against Chandrasekhar, but the CPI(M) should clarify whether its earlier stand against the officer was wrong. 'I have no personal disrespect for the officer. He might have acted as part of his responsibility, but the allegations made by the CPM back then are all in the public domain. The CPM convinced their cadres, the martyred cadres, and the families of the martyrs about many things. If you look closely, there's a great mystery as to why they're changing their stance now.' However, CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan defended Chandrasekhar, saying the officer was new to the district at the time of the incident. 'He was appointed there just two days before the incident. He's from Andhra Pradesh and didn't even know the geography or politics of Thalassery or Kannur. We all know the firing and lathi-charge were led by T.T. Antony and Abdul Hakkim Bathery. The court itself acquitted all of them. He is not guilty until the court says so,' he said. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Booted & back in 2022, Kerala ADGP puts Pinarayi in tight spot again amid LDF-backed MLA's charges
