Tensions flared in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, on March 12 after controversial comments made by Tushar Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and a well-known social activist. The incident took place during the unveiling of a statue honoring Gandhian leader P. Gopinathan Nair.
While addressing the gathering, Tushar Gandhi made a bold statement, saying, “The soul of the nation is afflicted with cancer, and the Sangh Parivar is spreading this cancer.”
His remark immediately angered members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who were present near the event venue.
As Tushar Gandhi was leaving, a group led by BJP councilor Mahesh confronted him, demanding that he take back his statement. However, Gandhi stood by his words, refused to apologise, and instead responded by chanting “Jai Gandhi.” This led to BJP supporters shouting slogans against him, while Congress workers countered with pro-Gandhi slogans to support him.
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The BJP strongly criticized Gandhi’s remarks, stating that the event was meant to be a unifying occasion, with representatives from all political parties present, and should not have been turned into a political controversy.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K. Sudhakaran condemned the BJP and RSS for disrupting the event, calling their actions an attack on Kerala’s secular values. He accused them of glorifying Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, and asserted that “The Sangh Parivar is a cancer threatening India’s secularism, democracy, and freedom.”
The incident has further intensified political debates in Kerala, with strong reactions from both sides.
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