Row over naming institute after RSS founder escalates; Congress lodges complaint against BJP leader

Palakkad, Kerala: The row over naming a skill development centre for disabled persons after RSS founder K B Hedgewar has escalated with the Congress on Saturday lodging a complaint with the police against BJP's Palakkad district president over his allegedly threatening remarks against MLA Rahul Mamkootathil a day ago.

The Congress, Youth Congress and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists had on Friday disrupted the skill development centre's foundation stone laying ceremony organised by the BJP-ruled Palakkad municipality.

Following the disruption, the saffron party's district president Prasanth Sivan, on the same day, said Palakkad MLA Mamkootathil will not be allowed to set foot in the district.

It is against this remark that the Congress has given a complaint to the police, a party source said.

Responding to reporters' queries regarding the BJP leader's remarks, Mamkootathil on Saturday said as long as he has legs, he will stand firmly on them to speak against the RSS.

"If they cut off my legs, I will use my remaining body to speak against the RSS. To stop me from speaking, they will have to cut off my tongue. Even then I will keep working against the RSS. So, I am not worried by such threats.

"I am a people's representative who was elected by the public, unlike a BJP district president. So, I am curious to know what action Kerala Police will take against such persons who are making these threats," the MLA said.

On Friday, after the Congress, YC and DYFI activists tried to stop the foundation stone laying ceremony, the BJP had conducted a march to the grand old party's district office shouting slogans in favour of Hedgewar.

The DYFI, Congress and YC activists who disrupted the event had said they were not against the project, but opposed to it being named after a RSS founder.

The Palakkad municipality's chairperson and vice-chairperson had questioned what was in a name and said the project was more important.

Later, the same day, Mamkootathil had led a party protest against the naming of the skill development centre after Hedgewar and also remarked that the Congress will oppose the initiative by carrying out strong agitations.

He had also claimed that no proposal was placed before the municipal council to name the project after Hedgewar and said that legal recourse will also be taken against it.