Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the RSS of teaching children to kill under the guise of conducting exercise drills. Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, he also accused the Hindu nationalist organisation of perpetrating violence in order to causes communal disturbances.
Responding to a question by MLA John Fernandez on the RSS’s activities in the state, Pinarayi reportedly said that, “Even students and children are given training to kill.”
The CM alleged that the murder of a Madrassa teacher in Kasargode and recent violence in the Thalassery Jagannath Temple were examples of RSS attempts to spread hatred. In Kasargode, unknown assailants had barged into the room of a Muslim cleric living near a mosque in Choori, and slashed his throat repeatedly. According to reports, the cleric was murdered over a clash between men of different communities that he had no involvement in.
"In the madrassa murder case, the accused did not have any grudge against the teacher. The RSS attempt to spread communal hatred was blocked by the timely intervention of the police, political parties and government," Pinarayi was reported as saying.
In Thalassery, 13 people were injured after a clash allegedly between CPI (M) and BJP workers during a temple festival.
Condemning drill exercises undertaken by the RSS, the CM said that the RSS was conducting arms training in temples and schools across the state. He said that the government would take action to prevent such training from taking place using the powers it had under the Kerala Police Act.
The RSS condemned the CM for his statements, and for making them in the Assembly where the RSS could not rebut them.
“Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement is solely political and baseless. What was the need for making such a statement in the Assembly where the RSS has no representative? His intention was to divert attention from whatever is happening in Munnar and the controversy triggered by Minister MM Mani. RSS has had a long history of functioning. It began its activities in Kerala as far back as 1942 and in India in 1925. It is a mass people’s movement, the people know its history and style of functioning. RSS is the biggest civil society movement in the world. The functioning of RSS is very transparent,” said senior Kerala RSS leader Sanjayan.