"Sangh Parivar has taken the heads of many," said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Highlights
- A Madhya Pradesh RSS member announced a bounty on Kerala Chief Minister
- Kerala Chief Minister P Vijayan was dismissive of the threat
- RSS has distanced itself from the member named Kundan Chandravat
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS has distanced itself from a member in Madhya Pradesh who announced at a crowded public meeting a bounty of one crore on the head of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
"The RSS does not subscribe to any views advocating violence and strongly condemns it," said the RSS' Dr MM Vaidya. In a statement the RSS said, "One speaker, Dr Kundan Chandravat, has given a provocative statement against the present Chief Minister which the Sangh does not subscribe to. The Sangh is against such violence. The mindset that encourages violence is wrong and the Sangh strongly condemns this mindset."
Kundan Chandravat, a local RSS functionary, made his shocking offer in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, saying, "If anyone gets me the head of Vijayan, I will give him my property, which is worth around 1 crore."
Kerala's Kannur has a longstanding history of violence between the RSS and Left party CPM and each side accuses the other of political murders. Seven people associated with right-wing groups have been murdered since the Pinayari Vijayan-led CPM came to power in May last year, and the RSS and BJP blame the Left party.
Mr Vijayan was dismissive of the threat. "The Sangh Parivar has taken the heads of many. But we need to move on," he said.
"Outrageous. We condemn it. The chief minister of a state being threatened by the RSS means they enjoy protection and patronage of the government," said Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the CPM, adding, "RSS reveals its true colours as a terrorist outfit. Will the Prime Minister his government stop remaining silent?"
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh of the BJP said he was "sure" Mr Chandravat "did not mean what he said". "He must have been just overcome by emotions due to increasing deaths of Hindus in the region," the state minister said.