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Opposition leader VD Satheesan slammed AK Balan, accusing the CPI(M) of resorting to “Sangh Parivar tactics” in a bid to polarise the electorate ahead of the Kerala assembly polls
CPI(M) leader AK Balan had told the media that the home department would be governed by the Jamaat-e-Islami if the Congress-led UDF returned to power in Kerala following the upcoming assembly elections. (Image: Sourced)
Senior CPI(M) leader and former law minister AK Balan’s remarks against the Jamaat-e-Islami have triggered a political controversy in poll-bound Kerala with the Congress terming them as “dangerous and communal”.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, meanwhile, sent Balan a legal notice over his comments that their organisation will effectively exercise control over the Kerala’s home department if the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) manages to secure a victory in the upcoming assembly elections.
This statement has drawn a sharp and immediate rebuke from opposition leader and Congress leader VD Satheesan, who slammed the remarks as “dangerous and communal”. He vehemently criticised Balan, accusing him of abandoning secular principles to borrow directly from the “Sangh Parivar’s playbook” in a bid to polarise the electorate. He suggested that such rhetoric is not merely an isolated comment but a calculated attempt to incite fear among voters for electoral gains.
Drawing a parallel to historical right-wing strategies, Satheesan pointed to an old campaign tactic used in Gujarat, where the prospect of a minority leader becoming the chief minister was used to instil apprehension and consolidate votes. He alleged that Balan is now “trying to replicate the model” within the unique political context of Kerala. He, however, remained firm that “secular Kerala” will ultimately resist and defeat any such move to introduce these divisive tactics into the state’s political discourse.
He has challenged the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government to clarify its official stance on the CPI(M) leader’s remarks. He questioned whether the party formally endorses these views and urged the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second major ally in the ruling coalition, to break its silence and clarify its position.
The state chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, meanwhile, sent a formal legal notice to Balan. The organisation is seeking Rs 1 crore in financial compensation, alleging that his remarks were “false, baseless, and derogatory”.
The notice, issued by the organisation’s state secretary Shihab Pookkottur, states that the comments were made with “mala fide intention” to damage the reputation and goodwill of the group and its workers. It charged the former state minister with attempting to create communal polarisation for the political advantage of the CPI(M) ahead of the polls.
Balan, however, is yet to respond to the legal notice.
(With PTI inputs)
Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India, India
January 07, 2026, 23:52 IST
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