New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 23 (NationPress) The Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, fiercely criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address delivered in Thiruvananthapuram, asserting that it revealed the BJP’s electoral strategy in Kerala as fundamentally communal and steeped in divisive politics that would not be accepted within the state.

In a statement made shortly after the Prime Minister's speech in the state capital, while addressing party members from New Delhi, Satheesan acknowledged the Prime Minister's right to visit Kerala for both official and party events.

Nevertheless, he labeled it as “dangerous” for an individual in the Prime Minister’s position—previously held by esteemed national leaders—to openly endorse communal discourse.

Such rhetoric, he contended, distorts the essence of India and jeopardizes the nation’s core constitutional principles.

Satheesan highlighted the absence of significant topics in the Prime Minister’s speech, noting, “There was nothing about development achievements, nothing about the future of the country or Kerala’s priority needs,” emphasizing that communalism was the only persistent theme.

He argued that the address underscored that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar possess no other political agenda in Kerala aside from fostering polarization.

Satheesan confidently stated that Kerala’s social fabric would serve as a strong defense against such political tactics.

“This is secular Kerala,” he affirmed, adding that the divisive tactics and “poisonous communal propaganda” seen in various other states would fail to take root in Kerala.

Reiterating the opposition's ideological stance, Satheesan asserted that the Congress, the Muslim League, and the UDF prioritize the safeguarding of secularism above all.

“We will go to any lengths to eliminate communal forces in this land and protect secularism,” he declared.

He also dismissed claims that the UDF engages in appeasement politics, emphasizing that neither the Congress nor the UDF resorts to unethical practices of nurturing communalism for electoral success.

“We do not indulge communal forces for a handful of votes or for electoral victories,” he stated.

Satheesan concluded by asserting that the secular credentials of the Congress and the UDF do not require validation from the Prime Minister.

“Our commitment to secularism does not need Narendra Modi’s endorsement,” he stressed, highlighting that Kerala would resist any efforts to polarize its electorate.