Kerala BJP Alleges ‘Culture Of Fear’ After LDF Councillor Apologises For Saying ‘Jai Hind’ In Oath | Politics News

Last Updated:December 24, 2025, 12:12 IST

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrashekhar said while the CPI (Marxist) and its ally Congress lecture others on tolerance, “INDI’s tolerance ends where patriotism begins”

(Left) Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrashekhar; (right) The councillor who said Jai Hind. (News18)

The Kerala BJP has hit out at the state’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) after a councillor reportedly apologised for saying “Jai Hind” while taking oath after the conclusion of the local body elections.

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrashekhar said the episode reflects a “culture of fear” created by the Left, where even an expression of patriotism invites “punishment, intimidation, and public humiliation”.

“An elected LDF councillor in Kerala apologises for saying ‘Jai Hind’ right after taking an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. Let that sink in,” Chandrashekhar wrote, claiming that the apology shows how the ruling coalition suppresses national sentiment. He added that while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its ally the Congress lecture others on tolerance, “INDI’s tolerance ends where patriotism begins”.

Chandrashekhar addressed the councillor and Malayalees broadly, saying, “Never apologise for loving your country. Be proud of India.”

Another BJP supporter, SVishnuReddy, also commented on the incident, asserting that when “patriotism needs an excuse and loyalty to the nation is treated as a mistake,” it signals that the CPI(M) has “drifted far from national pride”.

The controversy comes just four months ahead of the Kerala assembly election. In the recently held local body elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) succeeded in defeating the ruling LDF, signaling a notable erosion of support.

According to political analysts, several reasons have attributed to the political shift:

1. One of the most damaging issues for the LDF was controversy around the Sabarimala temple gold theft. A senior CPI(M) leader was implicated in the case, and both the UDF and BJP used it to criticise the Left’s integrity. This controversy particularly impacted the LDF’s traditional Hindu support base in central and southern Kerala.

2. The LDF has been in power in Kerala since 2016. As is common in long tenures, a strong anti-incumbency sentiment emerged among voters. Despite emphasising welfare achievements, the government failed to convincingly translate its record into voter support this time.

3. Some Muslim-majority areas swung away from the LDF, partly due to perceptions that the front had softened its stance against Hindutva politics and controversies around central government schemes like PM-SHRI. Apart from this, Christian voters in central Kerala, an important constituency, largely rallied back to the Congress and UDF after previous fragmentation.

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