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Kerala Pradesh Congress President Sunny Joseph has called for action against the State's Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian for "stoking communalism" with his recent remarks and alleged that the CPI (M) and the government are protecting the minister.
Addressing mediapersons here, Joseph said that Cherian's remarks questioned Kerala's "cutural ethos" and the Congress will raise this issue during the ongoing Assembly Session. "Minister Saji Cherian's expression of regret over his communal remark is not sufficient. The party and the government must take action. The party and the government are protecting Saji Cherian. Kerala's Cultural Affairs Minister is stoking communalism. He is the same minister who had earlier insulted the Constitution. As a minister, Saji Cherian has questioned Kerala's cultural ethos. The Congress will raise the issue of Saji Cherian both inside and outside the Assembly," the KPCC chief stated. Cherian's remarks on Sunday in Alappuzha related to the recent Kasaragod municipality and Malappuram district pachayat elections had recieved backlash from the Congress-led UDF. The Minister apologised today and withdrew his remarks stating that they were distorted and portrayed as communal. He also called the atttacks as baseless propaganda against his secular stand. "The campaign being carried out by distorting my recent remarks and projecting them as being against a particular community has caused me deep pain. The baseless propaganda now being spread seriously hurts the secular stand that I have upheld and practised throughout my life," he stated. Further, he apologised for his statement and regretted any discomfort or unintentional hurt caused to anyone by it. "Although my statement was distorted, I understand that the campaign has caused difficulty and pain to my brothers and sisters. It also pains me that some respected individuals, spiritual organisations, and spiritual leaders whom I hold in high regard were misled about my words. If my statement, due to misunderstanding, has caused discomfort or hurt to anyone without properly grasping my intent, I express my sincere regret. I hereby withdraw my statement," he said. He said that he cannot accept questions raised against his public life, "which has always been rooted in loving all people equally, beyond considerations of caste or religion, and working for them." Cherian asserted his commitment to safeguarding minorities across the country, adding that he would never compromise. "As a CPI(M) worker who has consistently and strongly spoken out against attacks on minority communities across the country, my 42 years of public life have never been one of compromise with communalism. As a result of this stand, I have also faced many bitter experiences. This is well known to the people of my native place and to those who know me personally," the release noted. (ANI)
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