BJP, VHP exploring legal action against Kerala Assembly Speaker over alleged remarks on Hindu deity

The BJP and the VHP on Tuesday said they were exploring legal recourse against Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer's alleged controversial remarks about a Hindu deity, claiming that his comments were aimed at creating communal tension in the state.

The BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are upset over the alleged controversial remarks made by the Speaker at a 'Vidya Jyothi' programme held at a government school in Ernakulam district of the state last week. During his speech at the event, Shamseer allegedly accused the Centre of trying to teach children "Hindu myths" instead of accomplishments in science and technology.

The BJP and the VHP say they are aggrieved over the Speaker's remarks regarding Lord Ganesh and the 'pushpaka vimanam'. A member of BJP's state committee has filed a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram Police Commissioner seeking registration of a case against the Speaker over his alleged remarks, the party's Kerala unit said in a social media post.

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It also accused the opposition Congress of being silent on the issue and demanded that it take a stand on the matter. In its post, the BJP said that if the Congress continues to remain silent, it would appear that the grand old party is favouring the Speaker's alleged discriminatory views. BJP's National Information and Technology Department in-charge Amit Malviya alleged that the Speaker was exploiting his position to denigrate the Hindu faith and beliefs and questioned whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will dissociate his party from such views or endorse it with his silence.

"A N Shamseer, Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly, is a religious bigot, who is exploiting his position in public life, to denigrate Hindu faith and beliefs. Hindumisia (Hinduphobia) is deep rooted in the Communists, who have now forged an alliance with the Congress, a self proclaimed Muslim party…," Malviya claimed.

"Will Rahul Gandhi, a former MP from Kerala, disassociate the Congress from such Hindu hating views or endorse it with this silence?" he tweeted. BJP Keralam, in its Facebook post, said that it has demanded that Shamseer be arrested and an investigation be initiated into the alleged controversial remarks made by him. It has contended that being an MLA and the Speaker of the Assembly makes his alleged comments even more offensive.

The BJP also claimed that the Speaker's alleged remarks are in violation of his oath of office and are unconstitutional. On contacting the Speaker's office, an official said that Shamseer was out of station and refused to comment. Meanwhile, the Kerala unit of the VHP has decided to file complaints against the Speaker in all police stations across the state and hold protests in various places.

VHP state president Viji Tampi said that besides lodging complaints in police stations across the state, his organisation has also sent a complaint to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan seeking appropriate action against Shamseer.

"We will also move the Kerala High Court on the issue if the High Court does not take up the matter on its own," Tampi told PTI. Besides the BJP and VHP, the Kerala Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti has decided to hold a march to the secretariat on Wednesday, July 26, demanding an apology. Priests and leaders of various Hindu organisations will participate in the march, it said, adding that devotees are also welcome to participate.