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BJP-RSS protesters try to stop vehicle of Gandhi’s great-grandson, Pinarayi calls it deplorable

Referring to the incident, Chief Minister Vijayan said it was an attack on the country's secularism and democracy.

Kerala Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan (left) and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (right) (Source: Facebook)

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition leader V D Satheesan on Thursday condemned the RSS and the BJP after their workers staged a protest against Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, for remarks he made about the RSS.

Unveiling the statue of the late Gopinanathan Nair, a prominent Gandhian, at Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district on Wednesday, Tushar Gandhi said, “We will be able to defeat the BJP, but the RSS is poison. They are trying to destroy the soul of the country. We should be fearful about that because if the soul is lost, everything is lost.”

Following the speech, a group of RSS-BJP workers raised slogans against him and tried to stop his car. Tushar Gandhi refused to withdraw his statement and drove away after raising the slogan, “Gandhi ki jai”.

Referring to the incident, Chief Minister Vijayan said it was an attack on the country’s secularism and democracy. “This is deplorable. An action that infringes upon freedom of speech cannot be allowed in a democratic society. There will be legal and democratic action against such tendencies… This incident shows that the protesters’ mindset is not different from that of those who assassinated Gandhi. A strong protest should emerge from secular and democratic society,” the CM said in a statement.

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Opposition leader Satheesan said the incident amounted to insulting Mahatma Gandhi. “The state government and the police should take strong action against this incident. There is nothing wrong with Tushar’s words that RSS is a cancer that has spread over the soul of the country. Fascism is ruling the country. It is eating into the soul of the country. Tushar was insulted for having stated the truth,” he said.

Tushar Gandhi’s visit to Kerala was in connection with the centenary celebration of the historical meeting of Mahatma Gandhi with social reformer Sree Naryana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt in 1925.

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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