Centre treating Muslims as second class citizens: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday trained his guns on the BJP-ruled Centre, alleging that its various laws and policies, like the Citizenship Act and new Waqf Act, treat Muslims as second class citizens and separate them from the mainstream.

Vijayan made the allegations while speaking at the concluding session of the 'Kerala Yatra', an outreach tour organised by the Kerala Muslim Jamaat, which began in Kasaragod on January 1 and traversed the state, concluding in Thiruvananthapuram.

The CM in his speech said that secularism, democracy and constitutional values were under threat in the country as minority communities like the Muslims and Christians and their places of worship were being attacked across the country.

He said that in such a situation majority communalism cannot be fought with minority communalism as both forces complement each other.

"Instead they have to be fought by strengthening secularism," he contended while addressing a large gathering at the Putharikandam grounds here.

Speaking at the event, also attended by senior Congress leader V D Satheesan, Vijayan said that having a "soft stand" or adopting an "appeasement strategy" towards any form of communalism was "dangerous".

The Marxist veteran said that Kerala has seen several brutal communal conflicts and riots in the state in the past, but all that has ended due to the strong uncompromising stand adopted by the LDF against any form of communalism.

He called for creating awareness among the people about the forces trying to divide them along the lines of religions, race, caste or language and praised the 'Kerala Yatra' led by Kanthapuram A P Abubacker Musliyar, saying that it was a step in the right direction.

"In this era when conscious efforts are being made to separate people in the name of religion or race, such moves are a great defense against it," the CM said.