Sangh Parivar leader claims Satheesan sought RSS support to win in 2001, 2006 Assembly polls

Kochi: A prominent Sangh Parivar leader, R V Babu, on Saturday claimed that UDF chairman V D Satheesan had met RSS leaders in 2001 and 2006 for their support to win the state Assembly polls in those years, an allegation denied by the Congress leader.

Satheesan said that he had never asked for RSS or BJP votes and claimed that Babu, who resides in Paravoor constituency from where the UDF leader is contesting, was anti-Congress because of certain remarks made against him by the party.

Babu, the state president of the pro-RSS outfit, Hindu Aikya Vedi, told a TV channel that the opposition leader had earlier denied that he attended an RSS event in 2006, but now he has admitted that he had.

"So, who is lying. Similarly, in future, he will be forced to admit that he had sought RSS help in 2001 and 2006 to win the Assembly polls," Babu said.

He also said that the stand that the Congress has adopted now with regard to RSS was not the same in 2001 and 2006.

Babu claimed that Satheesan lost "pathetically" to CPI's P Raju in 1996 and thereafter sought the help of the RSS to win.

Babu also said that he wants Satheesan to be defeated. The Sangh Parivar leader further said that he sees both the UDF and LDF as two sides of the same coin.

Responding to reporters' queries on the matter, Satheesan said that the fact that Babu wants him to lose shows there is no deal with the BJP or RSS.

He categorically denied the RSS leader's allegations that he sought the support of the right-wing organisation in 2001 and 2006 to win in the elections.

Satheesan also reiterated his earlier claims of an RSS-CPI(M) link.

He also questioned whether the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which has declared its support for the CPI(M), was secular.

"When the CPI(M) can question the support given to us by the Welfare Party of India and the Jamaat-e-Islami, we can question them about the PDP," he told reporters here.

The opposition leader contended that the CPI(M) has a problem with the Welfare Party only because it is supporting the UDF.

While speaking to reporters, Satheesan also accused the CPI(M) of protecting its leaders who were accused in the Sabarimala gold misappropriation cases.

He also urged the central government to withdraw from its move to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), claiming it could affect the public charity and welfare activities carried out by various NGOs.