Tirunavaya Kumbh Mela row: CPI leader Binoy Viswam targets RSS, BJP hits back

TIRUNAVAYA: Remarks by CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) holding a Kumbh Mela at Tirunavaya have triggered a political controversy, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders accusing him of opposing Hindu traditions.

Speaking at a CPI meeting on secularism held near the Gandhi statue at Tirunavaya on Saturday, Mr. Viswam said those seeking to hold the Kumbh Mela at the site were promoting the politics of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.

Mr. Viswam noted that Tirunavaya is one of the places where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed. Gandhi, and not Godse, represented Hindu values, he said, stressing the need for Hindu-Muslim unity. The CPI, he added, respected all religions but opposed making religion a part of the nation. He also accused the BJP and the RSS of following an ideology influenced by Mussolini and Hitler.

Turning to electoral rolls, Mr. Viswam alleged that names were being removed on the basis of religion and caste, and claimed that 13 crore names had been deleted. He further accused the Central government of weakening Parliament and the Constitution. The figure cited by the CPI leader could not be independently verified.

BJP Palakkad zone general secretary K.K. Surendran and State vice president V. Unnikrishnan hit back at the CPI leader, reasserting that the Kumbh Mela would continue to be held at Tirunavaya.

"Tirunavaya is not Binoy Viswam's ancestral property," Mr. Unnikrishnan said. He said the Kumbh Mela would continue to draw devotees and religious leaders.

Mr. Surendran accused Mr. Viswam of opposing Hindu beliefs for political gain and of trying to create divisions between Hindus and Muslims. Mr. Unnikrishnan alleged that Mr. Viswam was attempting to appease what he described as Islamic extremists.

Mr. Surendran also questioned the CPI's praise of Mahatma Gandhi, alleging that the party had opposed the Quit India Movement and had once described Gandhi as a British agent. The CPI's stance during the Quit India Movement of 1942 has long been a subject of historical debate, with the party opposing the movement at the time and later acknowledging the shift in its position.

Tirunavaya, located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha in Malappuram district, is historically associated with the Mamankam festival and hosts a Kumbh Mela that draws devotees and religious leaders. The site also holds significance in the national freedom movement, as it is among the places where Gandhi's ashes were immersed.

The exchange reflects a wider and recurring debate in Kerala's public life over the place of religion in politics, the conduct of religious gatherings, and the competing claims of political parties over the legacy of the freedom movement. Both the CPI and the BJP have said they will continue to press their positions — the CPI calling for the separation of religion from the affairs of the State, and the BJP maintaining that the Tirunavaya Kumbh Mela will proceed as scheduled.

Neither side has indicated any move to scale down the dispute, which is expected to feature in Kerala's ongoing political discourse.