Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 (NationPress) The political uproar surrounding Kerala Minister for Fisheries and Culture Saji Cherian has escalated as the Congress lodged police complaints against him for allegedly making comments with communal implications, while unease has surfaced within the ruling CPI(M).

The Youth Congress approached the Director General of Police, claiming that Cherian's remarks were aimed at inciting discord among religious groups for political advantage. The complaint was filed by Youth Congress state working president Binu Chulliyel.

In a separate action, Congress spokesperson V.R. Anoop registered a complaint against the minister at the Chengannur police station.

These complaints emerge amid growing political fallout from Cherian's recent statements, which have led to allegations of communal undertones and disquiet within the CPI(M).

In response to the backlash, the Minister quickly issued a clarification, asserting that his comments had been misrepresented and selectively quoted to mislead the public. Cherian contended that his observations were based on political realities and were not meant to encourage communalism.

“In areas with a Muslim majority, the League dominates, and in Hindu-majority regions, the BJP prevails. My intention was to suggest that this scenario should not occur,” he stated, emphasizing that he aimed to caution against the risks of political polarization along religious lines.

He argued that the communalism propagated by the RSS cannot be countered through what he termed minority communalism, and asserted that fortifying the Left is the sole effective response in Kerala.

Referring to the electoral results in the Kasaragod municipality, which consists of 39 seats, Cherian pointed out that the Left, despite advocating a secular platform, won only one seat, while the Congress secured two. The BJP captured 12 seats, and the Muslim League triumphed in 22.

“I merely announced the names of the winners. My worry was that such a situation should not recur in other parts of Kerala,” he told the media, insisting that no statement should endorse either majority or minority communalism.

In defense of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Cherian questioned whether there is a more secular leader in the country, noting that the Chief Minister has consistently supported minorities during every crisis. He added that no communal riots have occurred in Kerala during the tenure of the Left Democratic Front.

Nevertheless, the controversy continued to simmer. Cherian reacted sharply to media inquiries about whether the Muslim League's electoral success was bolstered by communal forces, dismissing microphones and walking away without further comment.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan refrained from commenting on Cherian's remarks or similar statements made by senior party leader A.K. Balan.

Notably, Cherian's previous controversial remarks about the Constitution had cost him his ministerial position, although he was reinstated after a court cleared him of any wrongdoing.