Kerala CM Vijayan Criticizes PM Modi for Praising RSS in I-Day Speech

Swift Summary

• Kerala Chief Minister pinarayi Vijayan criticized prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his Independence Day address.
• Vijayan accused Modi of attempting to attribute the legacy of India’s freedom movement to the RSS, which he described as having no involvement in the struggle for independence.
• He condemned a Union Ministry of Petroleum poster depicting V.D. Savarkar alongside Mahatma Gandhi, accusing it of distorting history.
• Vijayan alleged that the RSS was deferential to colonial rulers and opposed principles like secular democracy upheld during India’s fight for freedom.
• He emphasized that India’s independence movement was about uniting diverse communities and called out attempts by the Centre to recast figures like Savarkar as equal or superior in stature to Gandhi.
• The Chief Minister alleged that there is an effort by the Central government to glorify RSS ideologies and erase recognition given to other key movements and martyrs from national memory.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The statements made by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan reflect broader ideological tensions within Indian politics concerning interpretations of ancient legacies, notably around figures like Savarkar, Gandhi, and organizations such as RSS. While Prime Minister Modi’s endorsement emphasizes recognizing nationalist contributions affiliated with today’s ruling ideology, critiques claim these efforts rewrite established narratives about India’s secular-democratic struggle against colonialism.The public discussion arising from this controversy has implications for both political discourse and historical consciousness in India-raising questions about whose contributions take precedence in shaping post-independence identity formation. Calls for resisting narrative distortions underline how deeply entrenched values surrounding unity in diversity remain pivotal within a pluralistic democracy like India.

Read more: [Link unavailable]