Despite the best efforts of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to avoid a direct confrontation with the Nair Service Society (NSS), the community organisation has decided to intensify its protest against the allegedly blasphemous remarks about Hindu gods by Speaker A.N. Shamseer.
G. Sukumaran Nair, general secretary, has convened an urgent meeting of the organisation’s board of directors and executive council on Sunday. The five-member executive council and the 28-member board of directors, highest decision-making bodies of the organisation, will discuss the matter and chalk out an action plan.
“The objective is most likely to stimulate its members into protests against the government through organisational activities instead of holding mere public protests,” said an official source.
The step follows a lukewarm response by the Left Democratic Front government to a demand by the NSS for the Speaker to tender an apology. Adding to its chagrin, the CPI(M) central committee too has thrown its weight behind Mr. Shamseer, holding that there was nothing wrong in the remarks about Lord Ganesha.
The NSS, meanwhile, also appears discontent with the stance of the United Democratic Front, especially the Congress, which has chosen to adopt a neutral stance on the issue. On the other hand, various Sangh Parivar organisations, including its political arm, the Bharatiya Janata Party, have extended their wholehearted support to the organisation on the issue.
Official sources said the NSS was also planning to seek legal options on the issue. “The State police have chosen to ignore all the complaints filed against Mr. Shamseer. But at the same time, it booked a case against NSS members, including its vice president, for holding a procession in connection with the issue,” said a senior NSS functionary.
“The development has come at a time when this very same government continues to drag its feet on a demand by the NSS to withdraw the cases registered in connection with the Sabarimala protests in 2018,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Congress and the BJP continued to exert pressure on the CPI(M) and the government for an apology or correction by Mr. Shamseer, setting the stage for a tumultuous Assembly session from Monday.
The BJP announced a ‘prayer march’ to the Assembly and dared the Congress to boycott the Speaker in the House. State president K.Surendran said Mr. Shamseer’s remarks were aimed at communal polarisation. He added that CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan’s U-turn on the issue was intended to hoodwink the public and sought the Chief Minister’s response.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran urged the Speaker to correct his remarks and pave the way for the smooth functioning of the Assembly. He called on the government to withdraw the case registered against NSS members who took out a prayer march in Thiruvananthapuram.
