Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has demanded the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) to clarify their position on the Facebook post by Thrissur MLA P. Balachandran connected to the Ramayana which has sparked a controversy. In a statement here on Friday, Mr. Satheesan said that the post, now deleted, insults the concept of God and hurts believers.
“The MLA has made remarks that should never come from a representative of the people. Forces trying to sow the seeds of communalism have created a dangerous situation in the Kerala society. Mr. Balachandran made a statement that gives weapons to such communal elements. His language is vulgar and expressions are inappropriate. Taking down the Facebook post does not heal the wounds it caused,” said Mr. Satheesan.
After the Facebook post by the MLA on January 25 drew protests from various corners, he withdrew the post and apologised. “I posted an old story on FB recently. It was not meant to hurt anybody. I withdrew the post within minutes. Nobody should feel bad about that post. I extend my sincere apology on the issue,” Mr. Balachandran posted on Facebook.
BJP leaders who posted screenshots of the controversial social media post had alleged that the MLA “hurt religious sentiments of Hindus” and sought his resignation.
The Communist Party of India’s (CPI) district leadership flayed the Facebook post and said it was not the official stand of the party
