<p>Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Sunday rejected criticism that the Left party is adopting a "soft Hindutva" stand in the state and said it has played a key role in maintaining the southern state as secular.</p><p>Accusing CPI(M) in Kerala of following "soft Hindutva" is a deliberate strategy, and those who make such accusations themselves adhere to "hardline Hindutva," he alleged.</p><p>"Those who accuse us of practising soft Hindutva are the ones who are getting representatives of Hindutva politics elected to parliament and the Assembly," he said in an apparent attack against the Congress party while replying to a question.</p><p>Citing the victory of Suresh Gopi from Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the last general election, Baby said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate had received remarkably more votes there compared to the previous election, while the Congress votes had reduced drastically.</p><p>Those Congress votes had been polled to the BJP, ensuring the victory of the saffron party candidate in Thrissur, he alleged.</p><p>While addressing reporters at the AKG Centre here, he said, attacks against Muslim and Christian minorities are increasing in the country and that Hindutva communal organisations are behind these incidents.</p><p>The CPI(M) general secretary reiterated the recent statements of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and said no communal riot has happened in the state in the last 10 years under the rule of the CPI(M)-led government.</p>.V D Satheesan slams Kerala CM Vijayan over 'communal remarks', accuses CPI(M) of following Sangh Parivar path.<p>The Left parties have played a key role in maintaining Kerala as a secular state, he added.</p><p>Criticising the previous governments under the Congress-led UDF, he said an administrative system that bargained on communal and caste lines had existed in the state.</p><p>He said no one would count the religion, caste or sub-caste of ministers in the LDF cabinet and sought to know whether the situation was the same during the previous UDF regime.</p><p>Baby also said Kerala's success in fighting extreme poverty is proof of the Left government's political will and its commitment to ensuring better welfare even amid challenges.</p><p>Kerala achieved this success at a time when the Union government is cutting funds to state governments ruled by opposition parties and when the state is facing what is described as a continuous economic onslaught, he further said.</p><p>That is precisely why this achievement deserves even greater significance, Baby said.</p><p>Stating that the party's central committee reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, he said the CPI(M) would campaign in the state by highlighting the government's achievements.</p><p>It would also expose the financial crisis being imposed on the state by the BJP-led union government, he added.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Sunday rejected criticism that the Left party is adopting a "soft Hindutva" stand in the state and said it has played a key role in maintaining the southern state as secular.</p><p>Accusing CPI(M) in Kerala of following "soft Hindutva" is a deliberate strategy, and those who make such accusations themselves adhere to "hardline Hindutva," he alleged.</p><p>"Those who accuse us of practising soft Hindutva are the ones who are getting representatives of Hindutva politics elected to parliament and the Assembly," he said in an apparent attack against the Congress party while replying to a question.</p><p>Citing the victory of Suresh Gopi from Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the last general election, Baby said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate had received remarkably more votes there compared to the previous election, while the Congress votes had reduced drastically.</p><p>Those Congress votes had been polled to the BJP, ensuring the victory of the saffron party candidate in Thrissur, he alleged.</p><p>While addressing reporters at the AKG Centre here, he said, attacks against Muslim and Christian minorities are increasing in the country and that Hindutva communal organisations are behind these incidents.</p><p>The CPI(M) general secretary reiterated the recent statements of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and said no communal riot has happened in the state in the last 10 years under the rule of the CPI(M)-led government.</p>.V D Satheesan slams Kerala CM Vijayan over 'communal remarks', accuses CPI(M) of following Sangh Parivar path.<p>The Left parties have played a key role in maintaining Kerala as a secular state, he added.</p><p>Criticising the previous governments under the Congress-led UDF, he said an administrative system that bargained on communal and caste lines had existed in the state.</p><p>He said no one would count the religion, caste or sub-caste of ministers in the LDF cabinet and sought to know whether the situation was the same during the previous UDF regime.</p><p>Baby also said Kerala's success in fighting extreme poverty is proof of the Left government's political will and its commitment to ensuring better welfare even amid challenges.</p><p>Kerala achieved this success at a time when the Union government is cutting funds to state governments ruled by opposition parties and when the state is facing what is described as a continuous economic onslaught, he further said.</p><p>That is precisely why this achievement deserves even greater significance, Baby said.</p><p>Stating that the party's central committee reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, he said the CPI(M) would campaign in the state by highlighting the government's achievements.</p><p>It would also expose the financial crisis being imposed on the state by the BJP-led union government, he added.</p>