BJP's Kummanam accuses CPI-M's M.A. Baby of covert war on RSS to shield Kanthapuram
Synopsis
BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan has put CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby in a sharp political bind — accusing him of using the RSS as a shield to avoid directly challenging Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar's controversial remarks on women. With Kanthapuram simultaneously urging his followers to show restraint on social media, Kerala's fault lines of religion, gender, and electoral politics are converging into a single flashpoint.
Key Takeaways
BJP National Executive Member Kummanam Rajasekharan accused CPI-M General Secretary M.A.
Baby of waging a covert war against the RSS on 4 September in Thiruvananthapuram .
Kummanam alleged Baby is attacking the RSS to avoid directly confronting Kanthapuram A.P.
Aboobacker Musliyar over his controversial remarks on women.
The BJP leader described Baby's conduct as 'despicable political hypocrisy' driven by minority appeasement for electoral gain.
Kanthapuram issued a social media post urging his followers to show restraint, warning against attempts to turn 'spiritual discussions into controversy and division.' The episode adds another dimension to an ongoing politically charged debate in Kerala over gender, social reform, and communal polarisation.
BJP National Executive Member Kummanam Rajasekharan on Friday, 4 September accused CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby of waging a covert war against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to avoid directly confronting Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar over his controversial remarks on women. Kummanam, speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, challenged Baby to state his position openly rather than deflecting the controversy onto the RSS.
The Core Allegation
Kummanam alleged that Baby's attack on the RSS amounted to what he called 'blatant lies' and 'factually baseless' charges against the organisation. He argued that at a moment when criticism of Kanthapuram's anti-women positions was widespread across Kerala, the CPI-M leader lacked the political courage to confront the cleric directly. 'At a time when strong criticism is being raised across Kerala against Kanthapuram's anti-women positions, Baby is unable to confront the issue and is instead trying to drag the RSS into the controversy,' Kummanam alleged.
BJP's Minority Appeasement Charge
The BJP leader described Baby's conduct as 'despicable political hypocrisy' and alleged it was driven by a politics of appeasement aimed at securing minority votes ahead of elections. Kummanam insisted that political interests must not be allowed to divert public attention from the substance of Kanthapuram's remarks themselves. He reiterated that if Baby genuinely disagreed with Kanthapuram's position, he should say so plainly rather than turning the episode into an assault on the RSS.
Kanthapuram's Response on Social Media
Separately, Kanthapuram issued a post on social media appealing to his followers and workers to maintain restraint and avoid reacting emotionally to provocation. Without naming Baby or the RSS, he said attempts were being made to 'deliberately turn spiritual discussions into controversy and division.' 'Discussions should serve as healthy platforms for evaluating ideas impartially and learning new things,' Kanthapuram said, warning against what he described as vested interests seeking to exploit such discussions to create social division. He called upon his followers to respond with 'discipline and restraint', adding that the Sunni tradition had always been to 'confront evil with goodness.'
Broader Political Context
The exchange reflects a wider, politically charged debate in Kerala involving the CPI-M, the RSS, and Muslim religious organisations over questions of gender, social reform, and communal polarisation. Kummanam's remarks are likely to intensify that debate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeking to spotlight what it characterises as the CPI-M's reluctance to directly challenge Kanthapuram. This is not the first time the three formations have clashed over such fault lines — Kerala's political landscape has repeatedly seen religion, gender reform, and electoral calculations intersect in high-profile controversies. How the CPI-M responds to the BJP's direct challenge will be closely watched in the days ahead.
Point of View
The BJP forces the CPI-M into a lose-lose position — either defend Kanthapuram's remarks or publicly distance itself from a key minority constituency. What mainstream coverage underplays is that the CPI-M's silence on the substance of Kanthapuram's statements on women is itself a political statement, one that sits uneasily with the party's avowed commitment to gender equality. Kerala has seen this script before — religious controversy, competing accusations of appeasement, and the actual issue of women's rights quietly receding from the debate. The real question is whether any political formation in the state is willing to make the gender argument without a communal subtext.
NationPress
4 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan accuse CPI-M's M.A. Baby of?
Kummanam accused M.A. Baby of waging a covert war against the RSS to avoid directly confronting Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar over his controversial remarks on women. He alleged that Baby's attack on the RSS was driven by minority appeasement politics rather than a genuine ideological disagreement.
What are Kanthapuram's controversial remarks about?
Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar's remarks on women have drawn criticism from sections of Kerala society, with critics characterising them as anti-women. The specific content of the remarks has fuelled a broader political controversy involving the CPI-M, BJP, and Muslim religious organisations.
What did Kanthapuram say in his social media post?
Kanthapuram urged his followers and workers to maintain restraint and not react emotionally to provocation. Without naming the BJP or the RSS, he said attempts were being made to turn spiritual discussions into controversy and division, and called for discipline and maturity.
Why is the BJP targeting the CPI-M over this issue?
The BJP alleges that the CPI-M is using the RSS as a deflection to avoid taking a clear stand on Kanthapuram's remarks on women — a stance it attributes to minority appeasement politics ahead of elections. The party is seeking to highlight what it sees as the CPI-M's double standards on gender and communal issues.
What is the broader political significance of this controversy in Kerala?
The dispute reflects a recurring pattern in Kerala politics where debates over gender and social reform intersect with communal polarisation and electoral calculations. The CPI-M, BJP, RSS, and Muslim religious organisations are once again locked in a contest that blends ideological positioning with vote-bank arithmetic.
