'Actions matter, not words': Sivankutty backs CPI(M) MP, slams trolling over use of English

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Monday said the capability of a people’s representative should be judged by their actions and not by "ornamental words".

The minister was responding to cyber attacks and trolling targeting CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim over his recent visit to neighbouring Karnataka to take stock of the demolition of Muslim houses in Bengaluru.

Rahim was widely trolled on social media over his use of English during an interaction with a television channel in Karnataka.

Slamming those criticising the MP, the CPI(M) leader said Rahim had gone to Karnataka to raise his voice against what he described as alleged state-sponsored brutality that displaced several people.

"Those who are criticising the English grammar used in an interview he gave to a media outlet must understand one thing clearly: the capability of a people’s representative is not measured by ornamental words, but by action," Sivankutty said.

In an apparent attack on political opponents, without naming anyone, the minister said this was not a form of politics where elected representatives skip voting on crucial Bills in Parliament that decide the fate of lakhs of poor people and instead go on leisure trips abroad.

"What Rahim is doing is responsible political intervention," he said.

Sivankutty claimed that after remaining silent for several days, the Karnataka government was forced to act following protests and interventions by a delegation that included Rahim.

"The strong intervention of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the protests on the ground compelled the Karnataka government to convene an emergency meeting in Bengaluru," he alleged.

He also urged the public to recognise what he described as the hypocrisy of the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in the matter.

According to Sivankutty, Congress and BJP leaders did not raise objections when hundreds of houses were demolished, and families were allegedly forced onto the streets in severe cold.

Meanwhile, Rahim also responded to the trolling over his English language skills, stating that while he may have linguistic limitations, human suffering speaks only one language and cannot be ignored.

In a Facebook post, the MP said he travelled to Karnataka to witness first-hand the realities of alleged state-sponsored violence linked to large-scale demolitions.

Rahim said he stood by his visit, adding that the issues raised had since received widespread media attention.

"Scenes that would have otherwise gone unnoticed are now being seen by the world, and discussions on rehabilitation have been forced into the public domain," he said.

Rahim added that he would continue to speak up for the voiceless and stand with those who had been left isolated.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday had strongly criticised the reported demolition of Muslim residential areas in Bengaluru, calling the action shocking and painful.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan referred to the reported bulldozing of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout, where Muslim families had been living for several years, and said the incident reflected a form of minority-targeting politics seen earlier in parts of North India, warning that such practices were now spreading to the South.