Kerala tourism minister has links with banned organisation PFI, claims BJP

Kochi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala unit President K Surendran on Tuesday alleged that state tourism and PWD minister Mohammad Riyas has links with the banned extremist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI).

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Addressing reporters in Kochi, Surendran claimed that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) had used terrorist forces to help make Riyas a minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan government and a member of the party secretariat in order to gain support. In addition, he alleged that the CPI-M is currently undergoing a Muslimization process, with former members of PFI and other extremist organisations joining the leftist party.

Surendran's accusations came in response to Mohamed Riyas's remarks criticizing the Sangh Parivar.

Riyas had earlier questioned BJP leaders about their willingness to abandon the RSS ideas outlined in "Vicharadhara" (Malayalam translation of the book 'Bunch of Thoughts' by RSS ideologue MS Golwalkar). He asked, "Christians and missionaries are portrayed as one of the main threats to the nation in "Vicharadhara." Can the BJP leaders in Kerala and other regions of the nation reject the book?"

Surendran commented on the accusation made against the BJP over the "Vicharadhara". He said, "We just have one piece of advice to offer the CPI-M regarding Vicharadhara. It would be great if all Christian houses received five to six lakh copies of Vicharadhara. In Goa, Congress had made such an effort. Christians in Goa voted for BJP after reading it."

In response to the accusations made against Mohammed Riyas, Congress leader and former MLA VT Balaram stated that even though K Surendran's allegation that Riyas has connections to PFI is not credible, it is still serious.

Mar Joseph Pamplany, metropolitan archbishop of Tellicherry Archdiocese, Syro-Malabar Church, responded to criticism of "Vicharadhara" (Bunch of Ideas) on Tuesday by stating that people have the maturity to understand what is expressed in "Vicharadhara."

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