Thiruvananthapuram, June 14 (IANS) Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan over his criticism of three university Vice-Chancellors who attended an RSS centenary programme addressed by RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, accusing the Chief Minister of hypocrisy on secularism and constitutional values.

The BJP leader’s remarks came after Satheesan described the participation of the Vice-Chancellors in the RSS event as a “serious lapse” and said their presence at the programme was inconsistent with the dignity of their offices and Kerala’s educational traditions.

In a strongly worded social media post, Chandrasekhar alleged that the Chief Minister had no moral authority to lecture others on secularism while depending on the support of parties and organisations such as the Indian Union Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami.

“Let us be very clear and honest with the people of Kerala. Someone who has normalised radical, anti-Constitution and anti-secular organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami, and who is in power only because of the support of the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami, must not talk about supporting secularism or respecting the Constitution,” Chandrasekhar said.

He further termed it unacceptable that a Chief Minister who had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution was now, in his view, attempting to intimidate Vice-Chancellors for attending a public programme with Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the RSS.

The controversy erupted after three Vice-Chancellors attended an RSS centenary-related event in Kerala where Bhagwat addressed a gathering.

Reacting to their participation, Satheesan said the government viewed the matter seriously and argued that Vice-Chancellors were expected to maintain the dignity and neutrality associated with their positions.

The Chief Minister said that Kerala society held the office of Vice-Chancellor in high regard and that attending a programme organised by the leader of an organisation he accused of promoting communal ideology was unbecoming of those holding such constitutional and academic responsibilities.

He also asserted that any action encouraging communalism would not be tolerated and called upon the three Vice-Chancellors to apologise to the people of Kerala.

Countering the Chief Minister, Chandrasekhar alleged that both the Congress and the CPI(M) had long used criticism of the RSS and BJP as a means of mobilising minority votes in the state.

He claimed that such politics was increasingly losing relevance as more Malayalis were openly expressing nationalist sentiments and support for the RSS.

“The days of treating the BJP and RSS as a tool for fear-mongering and vote-bank politics are over. Malayalis will fearlessly express their nationalism and stand proudly with leaders who put the nation first,” he said.

The exchange has added a new political dimension to the controversy, triggering a broader debate on the role of university administrators, ideological neutrality in public institutions and the limits of political criticism in a democratic society.

–IANS

aal/pgh