Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday reacted sharply to the recent remarks of BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane, who referred to Kerala as “Mini Pakistan”.
Pinarayi Vijayan called Nitesh Rane’s remark, which sparked a major political row, “deeply provocative and deplorable”, adding that it highlighted the approach of the “Sangh Parivar” towards the state.
Reacting to Pinarayi Vijayan’s post, Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the Bharatiya Janata Party said he too “oppose any attempt by anyone to tarnish the name and image of my state Kerala”, but targeted the Kerala chief minister lawlessness in the southern state.
Vijayan accused the Sangh Parivar of attempting to marginalise and isolate regions where they face challenges in gaining influence, using hate campaigns and divisive narratives as a tool.
“The statement by Maharashtra BJP Minister Nitesh Rane, labelling Kerala as ‘Mini Pakistan,’ is deeply provocative and deplorable. It reflects the fundamental approach of the Sangh Parivar towards Kerala. The Sangh Parivar believes they can marginalise and isolate regions where they struggle to establish influence through hate campaigns and divisive narratives. Rane’s statement is a direct example of this strategy,” Vijayan wrote on X.
The Kerala CM also took a dig at the Centre for not addressing the minister’s remarks, labelling them a violation of constitutional values and the minister’s oath of office. He further noted that such a minister who makes such comments was not unfit to hold a ministerial office.
“A minister who makes such hate-filled remarks is unfit to hold office. It is astonishing that the leadership of the ruling party at the centre has chosen not to react to this blatant violation of constitutional values and the minister’s oath of office,” the Kerala CM added.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar reacts
The former Union minister alleged that under Pinarayi Vijayan’s leadership, lawlessness and criminality has touched new shameful lows.
“…I must say this – under your leadership, lawlessness and criminality has touched new shameful lows , where even an Indian Army officer is assaulted. Pls do the right thing. P.S: only other place Indian Army officers find themselves attacked is Pakistan or by Terrorists,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar posted on X in reply to the Kerala CM’s statement.
What did Nitesh Rane say?
Nitesh Rane has sparked a major controversy by calling Kerala a “mini Pakistan” and stating “all terrorists vote for Gandhis”, a reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad.
Speaking at a rally in Purandar tehsil of Pune district on Sunday, the BJP minister said, “Kerala is mini Pakistan. Terrorists (earlier) voted for Rahul Gandhi and now for his sister Priyanka Gandhi.”
Facing sharp criticism from opposition parties for his comments, Nitesh Rane on Monday maintained Kerala is very much part of India and he was merely raising issues of religious conversion of Hindus and “love jihad” in the southern state.
Rahul Gandhi won from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala in 2019 and again in 2024 along with Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh 6 months ago. He retained Rae Bareli and vacated Wayanad, which was won by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a bye-election last month.
Congress hits out at Nitesh Rane
The Congress hit out at Nitesh Rane, the son of BJP Lok Sabha member and former Union minister Narayan Rane, for his remarks. Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson of the Maharashtra Congress, said, “Nitesh Rane, who became a minister after taking oath to uphold the unity and integrity of the country, refers to Kerala as ‘India’s Pakistan’ and labels those who vote for the Congress and other opposition parties as ‘terrorists’. Should such a person remain in the cabinet? The BJP, which claims to prioritise the nation over everything else, must provide a clear explanation.”
Londhe claimed Nitesh Rane’s comments have harmed Maharashtra’s reputation. He noted that newly released statistics show BJP-ruled Maharashtra’s individual spending levels are now comparable to those of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and questioned Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the figures.
In contrast, non-BJP-ruled states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh (where the saffron party is an ally of ruling TDP), and Telangana are leading significantly in terms of individual spending, he emphasised.
