Kerala CM says Rajeev Chandrasekhar is spewing deadly poison

In no mood to let Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar off the hook, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the minister has been spewing not just poison, but deadly poison in a bid to dent the secular credentials of Kerala, while criticising Chandrasekhar for his "appeasement politics" remark.

After making communally charged statements on Sunday 29 October, about the blasts at a Jehovah’s Witnesses convention in Kochi’s Kalamassery, Chandrasekhar doubled down and justified the statements again on Monday, claiming that the CM was a liar.

“A Union minister made a statement that I am doing appeasement politics and protesting against Israel. He is a minister, and he should give some minimum respect to the investigating agencies, the probe is underway in such a serious incident. At such an early stage, they are making such statements targeting a few sets of people," Vijayan said.

Slamming Chandrasekhar, Vijayan said the minister and his friends have been targeting a particular community and making grave allegations to disturb the state's secular fabric. “But there is nothing to be surprised. Their mentality on issues like this has been clear as day. Rajeev will not see this as an insult but as a decoration. His remarks were not expected from someone who holds a ministerial position. These comments can only be seen as ones made by a misinformed babbler," saidVijayan.

"On what basis are these people (BJP) targeting one community and giving a special angle... when the probe is going on, on what basis is he making such a statement sitting in such a responsible position?" he added.

Chandrasekhar had accused the chief minister of being a liar as Vijayan had called him communal. “Pinarayi Vijayan is making false accusations to hide his incompetence and corruption. If the people cannot be protected, he should give up the home department,” said the minister, claiming that Vijayan was in Delhi when the bomb exploded in Kochi.

"Dirty shameless appeasement politics by a discredited CM (and HM) @pinarayivijayan besieged by corruption charges sitting in Delhi and protesting against Israel, when in Kerala open calls by Terrorist Hamas for Jihad is causing attacks and bomb blasts on innocent Christians," Chandrasekhar posted on X.