CPM RSS and the Constitution

 Kerala Minister Saji Cherian courts controversy with remarks against constitution

ANI

5 July, 2022 06:14 pm IST

Kerala Minister Saji Cherian courts controversy with remarks against constitution

Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan (Photo/ANI)

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Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan has courted controversy with his remarks that India’s constitution can be used to “loot” people of the country.

Addressing a CPI-M programme at Mallapally in Pathanamthitta district, Cheriyan, who is Fisheries and Cultural Affairs, the minister said the “Indian constitution can exploit people”.

“British prepared it, Indians wrote it and implemented it. It’s been 75 years. India wrote a beautiful constitution that can be used to loot. In that constitution, there are few places that have references to secularism, democracy but it can be exploited,” he said.

“We all say that we have a beautifully written Constitution. But, I will say, the Constitution is written in such a way that it can be used to loot the people of the country,” he said.

Several people including the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan hit out at the controversial remarks.

Taking to Twitter, Satheesan wrote, “Saji Cherian, Kerala Minister has made the most insulting statements about #IndianConstitution. Obnoxious words. He should resign or Chief Minister should demand the minister’s resignation. #Constitution”. (ANI)

Kerala assembly adjourned after UDF protest over Minister’s anti-Constitution remarks

As soon as the House proceedings began, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House raising slogans demanding the resignation of Cheriyan.

By: PTI | Thiruvananthapuram |

July 6, 2022 10:01:04 am

Saji Cheriyan (File)

The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday witnessed intense protests by the Congress-led UDF opposition over Minister Saji Cheriyan’s remarks against the Constitution, following which Speaker M B Rajesh declared the House adjourned for the day.

As soon as the House proceedings began, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House raising slogans demanding the resignation of Cheriyan.

They urged the Speaker to suspend the question hour and take up the notice for their adjournment motion to discuss the issue.

However, the speaker decided to adjourn the House for the day as the UDF members did not pay heed to his request to go back to their respective seats.

The opposition members later walked out of the House and staged a protest at the portal of the Assembly hall with placards and raised slogans against the minister and the Left government.

Saji Cheriyan, the minister for Cultural Affairs and Fisheries, on Tuesday landed in trouble for his remarks against the Constitution, triggering a huge political row in the state, but expressed regret soon claiming that he is a public servant upholding the noble constitutional values.

In the visuals aired by the TV channels, the minister could be seen saying in a recent event that the Constitution of the country “condones exploitation” and is written in a way helping to “plunder” the people of the country, drawing sharp reaction from the opposition parties which sought his immediate removal from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF cabinet.

Kerala minister Saji Cheriyan resigns amid protests over his anti-Constitution remark

Though Cheriyan maintained that the decision to quit was his own, indications are that he was nudged to do so by the party on a day of hectic parley.

By: Express News Service | Thiruvananthapuram |

Updated: July 7, 2022 7:02:10 am

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan accepted the resignation and allocated the portfolios held by Saji Cheriyan to the chief minister, according to a Raj Bhavan tweet. (PTI)

Kerala minister Saji Cheriyan on Wednesday announced his resignation over his controversial remarks against the Constitution at the end of a day of hectic parley amidst mounting criticism from various quarters, not least from the Opposition Congress and the BJP.

Apparently succumbing to pressure from the CPI (M) central leadership, Cheriyan — a senior leader who held cultural affairs, fisheries and youth affairs portfolios in the cabinet — met media persons at the chief minister’s office (CMO) and announced that he had handed over his resignation to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Cheriyan is the first minister to resign from the second Left Democratic Front (LDF) government headed by Vijayan.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan accepted the resignation and allocated the portfolios held by him to the chief minister, according to a Raj Bhavan tweet.

Speaking at a party function in Pathanamthitta on Monday, Cheriyan had said that the Constitution endorses the exploitation and loot of the common people. “I would say the Constitution has been written in such a manner as to ensure that the maximum number of people are looted. What the British prepared, Indians penned down. Over the last 75 years that it has been implemented, I would say this is a Constitution that ensures the exploitation of the maximum number of people in the country,” he had said.

As the Opposition Congress and the BJP took to the streets demanding Cheriyan’s resignation over the comment, he said that his remarks were distorted and even on Wednesday morning maintained that he would not resign over the issue.

After attending a meeting of the available state secretariat at AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Cheriyan responded to questions on whether he would be resigning with a query of his own — “Why?” “…What is the problem? I already said what I had to say yesterday.”

However, at the same time, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters in New Delhi that the matter was being discussed by the state leadership and “appropriate action” would be taken.

In the morning, the state assembly proceedings were disrupted by the Opposition’s agitations demanding Cheriyan’s resignation leading to the House being adjourned for the day.

After staging a brief sit-in protest at the portal of the hall with placards, the United Democratic Front (UDF) members gathered in front of the statue of B R Ambedkar at the assembly campus and raised slogans accusing Cheriyan of “insulting’ the architect of the Constitution through his harsh remarks. Besides that, there were protests in various parts of Kerala demanding his resignation.

Political Pulse |Fending off other storms, Kerala CPM buffeted by another: minister’s remarks on Constitution

In the evening, Kanam Rajendran, state secretary of CPI, the second-largest party in the LDF government, said that his party would react on the issue only after the CPI(M) decided on its due course of action.

Around 5.30 pm, Cheriyan appeared before the media and announced his resignation and said that it was his own decision to quit. He insisted that it was never his intention to disrespect the Constitution for which he has the “highest regard and respect”.

“I was hurt by such a portrayal of what I had said. I also believe it was aimed at destabilising the ruling Left government,” he said and reiterated that he had no intention to disrespect the Constitution. He also alleged that it was the Congress and the BJP which have failed many times to uphold the majesty of the Constitution.

Welcoming his resignation, leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, as well as other senior Congress leaders, said Cheriyan had not expressed any regret over his remarks nor had the chief minister, his party or the CPI(M) politburo indicated their stand on the speech.

Satheesan further said: “We sought the resignation because it was a dangerous stand he took through that speech. He was toeing the Sangh Parivar line. Why is CPI(M) not taking any stand in this matter? The Congress party feels that he should also resign his MLA post.”

“The police case will continue as he did a criminal offence. He does not have any privilege. The CM should express his opinion about this incident. Why is he not responding to this controversy?” he added.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran said it was good that Cheriyan exited without much protest.”Our Constitution is special as this is the only one which calls for unity in diversity. If this Constitution is weakened, then our country will be lost,” he added.

Also read |Kerala assembly adjourned after UDF protest over Minister’s anti-Constitution remarks

BJP state chief K Surendran too expressed a similar view and added that the protests would not stop with Cheriyan’s resignation. “It seems like he still stands by what he had said in the speech. Cheriyan has not so far rendered a public apology. Neither the CPI(M) nor the Chief Minister have said Cheriyan’s speech was anti-Constitutional. The disrespect towards the Constitution still continues,” Surendran said.

“He is not absolved from his crime just because he resigned from his minister post. Cheriyan must publicly apologise and resign from the MLA post. If he does not resign from the MLA post, then we will move legally,” he added.

The day also saw a magistrate court at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district directing the Keezhvaipur police to register a case against Cheriyan on the basis of a plea moved by an Ernakulam-based lawyer for allegedly insulting the Constitution, according to PTI.

A leader close to CM Vijayan

A two-time MLA and first-time minister, Cheriyan has represented the Chengannur constituency in the state assembly since 2018. The 57-year-old leader is considered as a strongman of the ruling party in Alappuzha district and a confidante of CM Vijayan.

Beginning his political career as a student leader of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Cheriyan also held various party posts during his decade-long political life. Though he contested for the first time in the 2006 assembly election, he lost to Congress’ P C Vishnunath.

He was elected to the House as legislator in the byelection in 2018 from Chengannur constituency by a record margin. During the 2021 assembly election, he won the seat by a margin of over 30,000 votes beating his nearest rival.

The first Pinarayi Vijayan government saw the resignation of at least four ministers over various controversies — E P Jayarajan, A K Saseendran, Thomas Chandy and K T Jaleel. Of them, Saseendran and Jayarajan had been re-inducted into the cabinet after sometime.

Another minister, Mathew T Thomas also quit from the first Vijayan government but as part of his party, JD(S)’ decision for the induction of K Krishnankutty into the then cabinet.

Amid row over CPM leader’s Constitution remark, a bout on the side between RSS, Congress leader Satheesan

CPM's Saji Cheriyan shares Golwalkar's ideology, says Satheesan; RSS warns of legal action.

Written by Shaju Philip | Thiruvananthapuram |

Updated: July 11, 2022 11:47:33 am

Saji Cheriyan (File)

The row over CPI(M) leader Saji Cheriyan’s remarks on the Constitution, which led to his stepping down as minister last week, has now escalated as a war of words between the RSS and the Congress.

While targeting Cheriyan over his controversial remarks on the Constitution, Congress leader Satheesan alleged that the CPI(M) leader had reiterated what Golwalkar stated in his “Bunch of Thoughts” and that Cheriyan shared the RSS leader’s ideology. “Who does not know that the approach of Cheriyan towards the Indian Constitution is the same as that of the RSS,’’ Satheshan, the Leader of the Opposition, had said.

Also Read |Kerala minister Saji Cheriyan resigns amid protests over his anti-Constitution remark

The RSS state committee on Saturday responded by serving a notice to Satheesan and warning of legal action if he failed to retract his statement.

In an outburst against the Constitution at a party function, Cheriyan had stated, among other things, that the Indian Constitution endorses the exploitation and loot of the common people.

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In Kerala, where the minority vote bank is crucial for winning any election, both the CPI(M) and the Congress have always tried to accuse each other of having Sangh Parivar leanings.

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Recently, the CPM had, while referring to the protests over K-Rail and the gold smuggling scandal, accused the Congress, BJP and other Sangh Parivar outfits of joining hands against the party-led Left Democratic Front government. Similarly, when the CPI(M)’s party congress held in Kannur in April decided against a pre-poll alliance with the Congress at the national level in the next general elections, the Congress had accused the CPI(M) and the Sangh Parivar of working together in Kerala. Also, when the Kerala government sent a delegation to Gujarat to study the state’s dashboard system, the Congress had taunted that Pinarayi Vijayan was emulating the Modi model of development. It reminded the CPI(M) that a decade ago, the party had sacked their MP A P Abdullakutty on charges of praising Modi.

EXPLAINED

Criticism of RSS over Golwalkar’s views

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Satheesan stuck to his stand and said, “Golwalkar had stated that the Constitution is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from various constitutions of Western countries. It has absolutely nothing which can be called our own. This is the same thing that Cheriyan stated about the Indian Constitution, that the British prepared it… I reject their notice with contempt.’’

Also Read |Kerala govt reallocates Cheriyan’s portfolios to 3 ministers

The RSS responded by pointing out that Satheesan had in the past attended several Sangh Parivar events related to Golwalkar.

RSS leader and Kerala Hindu Aikyavedi general secretary R V Babu said in a Facebook post, “In 2006, Satheesan had inaugurated a seminar on religious terrorism on the occasion of the birth centenary of Golwalkar. He lit a lamp in front of an image of Bharat Mata. He did not find any fault with the RSS then. Now, Satheesan who backs Islamic terrorism, hopes that his anti-RSS stand will fetch him votes,’’ he said.

The BJP also hit out, with party state vice-president C Sadanandan Master pointing to a 2013 RSS event that Satheesan reportedly attended as a Congress legislator. “He (Satheesan) is now comparing the anti-national statement of CPI(M) leader Saji Cheriyan with the words of the honourable Guruji (Golwalkar). If Satheesan had felt that Guruji’s words were seditious, why did he then attend the RSS event in 2013 in Thrissur? Satheesan had then given a lengthy speech on the thoughts shared by Bharatheeya Vichar Kendram (which is associated with RSS). He had praised the Kendram and its activities. Now things have changed for Satheesan. This is self-deception,’’ he said.

Also Read |RSS notice: Satheesan says he stands by his remarks on Golwalker’s book

Satheesan on Sunday did not react to the RSS’s statements.

Sangh’s strongest critics have often used Golwalkar’s views on the Constitution and Muslims to take on the RSS on its alleged hardline position. In 2018, during a lecture series organised by the outfit, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had, while referring to a new edition of Golwalkar’s Bunch of Thoughts, said, “As far as Bunch of Thoughts goes, every statement carries a context of time and circumstance…his enduring thoughts are in a popular edition in which we have removed all remarks that have a temporary context and retained those that will endure for ages. You won’t find the (Muslim-is-an-enemy) remark there.”