Commemoration of RSS Centenary With A Postage Stamp, 100 Rupee Coin, A Grave Insult to Constitution, Says Kerala CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the decision to commemorate the RSS centenary with a postage stamp and a 100 rupee coin, calling it a serious insult to the Constitution.

The Chief Minister accused the Central Government of endorsing the RSS, which he claimed avoided participating in the freedom struggle and supported a divisive ideology aligning with colonial strategies.

Pinarayi stated that this national honour undermines the memory of true freedom fighters and the secular, unified vision they had for India. He further remarked that choosing Gandhi Jayanti for such recognition shows that even Gandhi's legacy intimidates the Sangh Parivar.

He said the Central Government has now acknowledged efforts to present Savarkar, who was tried in Gandhi's assassination case, as a symbol of the freedom struggle. Secular society should identify and openly resist attempts to elevate Savarkar over Gandhiji, he stated.

Pinarayi emphasised that the RSS's politics, which opposes pluralism and coexistence, directly contradicts the humanistic principles Gandhi stood for.

"Gandhi's legacy will continue to inspire us in resisting forces that seek to divide society," he said.

On Gandhi Jayanti, Pinarayi remarked that Gandhi turned his life into a powerful message for the world. "It was his unwavering stand for democracy and secularism that led to his assassination by a Hindu extremist," he stated.

The Chief Minister highlighted that Gandhi's principles posed challenges to the politics of partition and communal ideologies in India, which provoked the communalists. He emphasised that Gandhi gave his life for the idea of India.