Kerala government’s decision to allot land to Sri M triggers allegation of CPM-RSS nexus

CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's decision in Kerala to allot four-acre land in Thiruvananthapuram for ten years lease to spiritual guide Sri M for setting up a yoga centre has triggered allegations of a CPM-RSS nexus ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections.

The state cabinet decided to allot the land to Sri M's Satsang Foundation for setting up a Yoga centre last week and the land can not be used for any other purpose, government sources said.

It has also come to the fore that Sri M had initiated talks between RSS and the CPM leadership several years ago to try to put an end to the political killings in Kannur district.

While the Opposition Congress alleged that Sri M played the role of middleman in forging a CPM-RSS-BJP nexus in Kerala, the CPM on the other hand retorted that the allegations over allotting land to Sri M are being triggered by the Jamaat-e-Islami as part of their tie-ups with Congress.

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Reacting to the row, Sri M told a section of the media that he had initiated the talks between RSS and CPM as he aimed to ensure the prevalence of peace in the society. "There was no political agenda in the meeting and there was no politics involved in the Pinarayi Vijayan government's decision to allot land for the yoga centre," said the Padma Bhushan recipient.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the decision to allot land is quite dubious. Congress MLA V T Balaram said that Sri M requested for the land hardly one month back and the Pinarayi Vijayan government swiftly took the necessary step. A widespread campaign is also going on in social media over the decision.

Some CPM leaders initially denied the allegations of a meeting between RSS and CPM leaders. However, CPM senior leader and former Kannur district secretary of the party P Jayarajan said that Sri M initiated the discussion for the sake of peace and it was not held for an alliance. He also alleged that the Jamaat-e-Islami and its political outfit Welfare Party were against peace and hence they are trying to frame it as a political ploy.

"Even after the talks, Kannur witnessed political violence between the two sections," he said.