Congress Kerala chief fans row with remarks on Nehru; later retracts

Senior Congress leader and party’s Kerala unit chief K Sudhakaran on Monday courted another controversy by saying India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was willing to “compromise with communal fascism” to accommodate RSS leader Syama Prasad Mukherjee in his cabinet.

Sudhakaran, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, made the remarks while addressing an event on children’s day, which marks Nehru’s birth anniversary, in North Kerala’s Kannur district.

“Nehru is the symbol of the highest level of democratic consciousness that made BR Ambedkar the law minister. He was magnanimous enough to make (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) RSS leader Syama Prasad Mukherjee a minister in his own cabinet. He has large-heartedness to even compromise with communal fascism for democracy,” the senior Congress leader said.

The Lok Sabha MP from Kannur further said there were not enough members in the opposition fold and yet Nehru made Communist leader AK Gopalan the opposition leader in Lok Sabha.

“Nehru was a tall leader and wanted to take all along in the spirit of democracy...,” he said, adding that such “inclusiveness” was missing in politics these days.

Mukherjee was the minister of commerce and industry in the first Union cabinet led by Nehru from 1947 to 1950. He later quit the cabinet and founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which later became the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in 1951.

Hitting out at Sudhakaran, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged the KPCC chief was trying to justify RSS acts by equating with Nehru’s works. “He has quoted Nehru extensively to give a clean chit to RSS. And that too he made this comment when the country was remembering the tall leader,” Vijayan said in a Facebook post. “He should remember Nehru only banned the RSS after Gandhiji’s killing. His utterances will make only RSS happy, none others.”

Former Kerala PCC president Mullapally Ramachandran said the “party will discuss about recent statements of Sudhakaran”.

The Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML), an ally of the Congress in the southern state, also criticised the PCC chief’s remarks. “We are not satisfied with the PCC president’s observations and subsequent explanation,” said party leader Abdul Rehman Randathani. “The party will discuss it in detail.”

However, late on Monday night, Sudhakaran retracted his statement, saying his words were “misconstrued and misinterpreted”. “My intention was to highlight democratic ideals of Nehru and his large-heartedness. But I was quoted out of context and words were misinterpreted and twisted,” he said. “I express regret and withdraw my words if they hurt anyone.”

Sudhakaran’s controversial remarks came days after he sparked a row by saying he had given “protection” to RSS shakhas in Kannur during his days as a Congress student leader.

“When the RSS launched shakhas in places like Edakkad and Thottada in Kannur, there were attempts to attack them by Communists,” the Kannur MP said last week. “But I sent my people to protect them. It is my duty to protect people who are in distress.”

His statements evoked sharp criticism from IUML, an ally of the Congress in Kerala’s opposition United Democratic Front (UDF).

“There should not be any words or actions by democratic forces to legitimise the RSS,” claimed IUML legislator MK Muneer. “Sudhakaran told me he was with the Congress (O) those days after the Congress split in 1969. He also said be it now or then, giving protection to those who are in distress was part of his character.”

Asking leaders to talk in clear terms to avoid confusion, the senior Muslim Legue leader and former state minister, added that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made it clear recently in Wayanad (north Kerala) that people who have a “soft corner for the RSS” should leave the party.

The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) said recent statements of Sudhakaran showed his inclination towards saffron forces. “He has proven beyond doubt that he is a Congress leader with RSS heart,” said CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan.