A BJP leader has served a legal notice on Kerala CPM leader Jaick C Thomas after he allegedly referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a naradhaman (a Malayalam word used to describe the worst human being) during a TV debate. While taking part in a TV debate on November 21 on the delay in the disbursal of welfare pensions, Jaick criticised the “RSS-controlled” Union government. “When a naradhaman called Narendra Modi is not giving the Centre’s share in the widows' pension, Pinarayi Vijayan disbursed that amount as well, expecting the Centre’s contribution,’’ he added. The notice, served by R Balashankar, former national convener of the BJP’s intellectual wing, said that Jaick’s remark “means ‘subhuman’ or ‘not even human’ and therefore, the statements offensively portrayed that the office of the Prime Minister is not even being occupied by a human’’. “Your statements have also promoted enmity, hatred and ill-will between different such groups, which is also a punishable offence and is certainly not expected by a person whose statements exercise significant influence on the general public and [who] owes a duty to be more responsible,’’ it added. The notice sought that Jaick should tender an unconditional public apology. On failing to do so, he will have to face legal proceedings, it warned.
