The show-cause notice issued by the Rajya Sabha Chairperson to Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] MP John Brittas shows the dangerous situation of democracy in the country, the CPI(M) State Secretariat said in a statement here on Sunday. The Chairperson had summoned him for an article criticising Home Minister Amit Shah for his comments against Kerala during a recent election speech in Karnataka.
Mr. Shah had during the event said that only the BJP could keep Karnataka safe, and added that “There is Kerala near you. I don’t want to say much.” As per the CPI(M) statement, this speech was reported in many newspapers. An explanation was sought from Mr. Brittas for merely quoting this remark and criticising it.
“Amit Shah and many other Sangh Parivar leaders have been constantly making statements insulting Kerala. The State, which leads in all human development indices, was even compared to Somalia. It has provided an alternate model to the one put forward by the policies followed by the Union government. This is the reason for the political spite displayed by BJP leaders towards Kerala. Such moves are being made in a context when the Sangh Parivar is even churning out anti-Kerala movies,” said the statement.
The statement said that Mr. Brittas had been constantly raising his voice against the BJP’s communal agenda and the Union government’s neglect of Kerala. It called on all democratic forces to resist the attempts of the Sangh Parivar to clamp down on freedom of expression.
