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In a move that is likely to escalate tension between the CPI(M) and Nair Service Society (NSS), the Thiruvananthapuram police Thursday registered a suo motu case against the outfit’s members with regard to a prayer rally taken out to protest against Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer’s remarks about Lord Ganesh.
On Wednesday, NSS, an influential outfit of the upper-caste Nair community, had observed “faith protection day” and had taken out prayer rallies in many temples, demanding Shamseer’s apology for his remarks.
The case was registered by the Thiruvananthapuram city police arraigning NSS taluk union vice-president Sangeeth Kumar as the first accused and 1,000 identifiable persons as the other accused.
They face offences of unlawful assembly and rioting among various other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Kerala Police Act. The FIR said they had gathered near the Ganapati temple in the city shouting slogans that “Ganapati is not a myth, but our asset”, in violation of the ban on processions in public places.
Hours after the case was registered against the Hindu outfit, the BJP announced a protest march to the state secretariat later in the day.
Over the last week, the BJP has been in protest mode, seeking the removal of Shamseer, a prominent young Muslim face of the CPI(M), as the Speaker. On Wednesday, NSS joined the issue by observing “faith protection day”, and conducting special prayers and rallies.
While inaugurating an education project in the Kunnathunad Assembly constituency in Ernakulam, Shamseer said myths should not be promoted as science, citing pushpaka vimana and the birth of Kauravas.
The case against the NSS also came a day after the CPI(M) categorically rejected the growing demand from Hindu organisations, Opposition Congress and the BJP that Shamseer must tender an apology for his remark.
On Wednesday, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said there was no question of Shamseer either expressing regret or withdrawing his comment. According to Govindan, there was an electoral agenda behind the controversy and “there is a bid to divide society over the Speaker’s speech”.
On his part, Shamseer has said he respects all religions and had not insulted any religious sentiments and his statement that scientific temper should be promoted was based on the Constitution.
After the CPI(M) made its stand on the issue clear, NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said the reactions don’t “serve any relief for the pain inflicted upon the faithful”.
“What we want to know is the stand of the state government. If the State Government also adopts the same approach, we would be forced to seek other peaceful and practical remedies for solving the issue”.
