Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has slammed Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane's "mini Pakistan" remark on the southern state. He has described the remark as "deeply malicious" and "utterly condemnable" and said it reflects hate campaigns against Kerala.
"The derogatory remark by Maharashtra Fisheries and Ports Minister @NiteshNRane, labelling Kerala as 'mini-Pakistan', is deeply malicious & utterly condemnable. Such rhetoric reflects the hate campaigns orchestrated by the Sangh Parivar against Kerala, a bastion of secularism & communal harmony. We strongly denounce this vile attack on Kerala, & call upon all democratic & secular forces to unite against Sangh Parivar's hateful propaganda," Mr Vijayan said in a post on X.
The son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane, 42-year-old Nitesh Rane handles the portfolios of fisheries and ports development in the Devendra Fadnavis government. Targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at a public gathering, Mr Rane said the siblings were elected from Kerala's Wayanad because the state is "mini Pakistan".
"Kerala is mini Pakistan that is why Rahul Gandhi and his sister are elected from there. All terrorists vote for them. This is the truth, you can ask. They have become MPs after taking terrorists with them," Mr Rane said.
The remarks drew a scathing response from the Opposition parties. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, "What else can one expect from Nitesh Rane? He has been elected to do this only. However, I want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis. The person (Rane) is a minister and has taken the oath of the Constitution to (maintain) the sovereignty and unity of India. Now, he is labelling one of the country's states as Pakistan. He is calling the voters there 'terrorists.' Should he have the right to remain in the ministerial position?" he added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said, "BJP leaders are worried since Prime Minister Modi won only by a lakh votes, they are not able to digest Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's win (by a margin of 4 lakh votes."
Clyde Crasto, spokesperson for the Sharad-Pawar-led NCP (SP), said, "Nitesh Rane always speaks like this, BJP will have to clear whether they agree with these statements. The BJP will have to answer to the people of Kerala and India. These statements can only come from people who are out of mind. It is like an insult."
Amid the growing controversy, Mr Rane issued a clarification. "Kerala is very much part of India. However, the decreasing population of Hindus is something everyone should worry about. The religious conversion of Hindus into Muslims and Christians has become an everyday thing there."
