Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today thanked his Karnataka counterpart and the state government for providing necessary security and logistics support to make his recent visit to Mangaluru peaceful, amidst bandh called by Sangh Parivar outfits.
A Dakshina Kannada district bandh was called by Sangh Parivar outfits on February 25 against Vijayan's visit alleging that he was the "mastermind" behind the crimes against its workers in Kerala, especially in Kannur district.
Noting that RSS and allied organisations had kicked up a controversy over his visit by issuing a public statements, Vijayan in a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih said such shocking stand taken by these organisations reveal their "underlying fascism" and is totally against the spirit of democracy which we all cherish and nurture in our country.
He said "though individually me and my political party had defied such threats and taken on such challenges head-on, in the present circumstances where I am occupying a constitutionally defined office has posed some limitations in responding to this challenge in the same mariner."
Amid a tight security arranged by the Karnataka police, which had banned all other programmes except the two attended by Vijayan, he on February 25 had said it was now imperative to protect communal harmony, while RSS was trying to disrupt peace in every corner of the country.
Private shops and commercial establishments were mostly shut that day in Mangaluru and other parts responding to the bandh called by VHP, Bajrang Dal and some fringe right wing outfits and backed by BJP to protest attacks on BJP/RSS cadres in Kerala.
Vijayan in his letter has appreciated Siddaramaiah and his government for rising to the occasion and "determinedly intervening to ensure that the functions could be organised peacefully."
"I would like to formally thank you for the stance taken by your administration in providing the necessary security and logistics support to make my visit and the public events successful and memorable," he said.
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