‘Who has RSS links?’ V D Satheesan fires back at Pinarayi Vijayan, alleges CPM–RSS links

Thiruvananthapuram: The political confrontation in Kerala politics 2026 intensified on Thursday as Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan launched a sharp counter-attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging historical links between the CPM and the RSS.

Responding to Vijayan’s earlier remarks accusing the Congress of maintaining tacit ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Satheesan dismissed the claims and turned the allegations back on the ruling party.

He said the Chief Minister’s assertion that only the CPM has consistently opposed the RSS would not be accepted by politically aware voters in Kerala.

Satheesan counters with historical claims

The Congress leader alleged that Vijayan had benefited from RSS support in the past, including during the 1977 Assembly elections, and not the Congress.

Citing past instances, Satheesan referred to the Uduma constituency, claiming there was a CPM–RSS understanding involving RSS leader K G Marar. He also pointed to historical visuals of E M S Namboodiripad with RSS leaders.

Satheesan further questioned whether Vijayan would deny the presence of senior BJP leader L K Advani at a CPM campaign event in Palakkad.

National-level alliances cited

At the national level, Satheesan highlighted political alignments during 1989, when CPM leaders, including Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu, supported the government led by V P Singh alongside BJP leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani.

He argued that these instances contradict the Left’s current claims of having no association with the BJP or RSS.

Fresh allegations and demands for clarification

Satheesan also referred to a statement by Balashankar, former editor of the RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser', alleging a CPM–BJP understanding during the previous Assembly elections, and demanded a clear response from the Chief Minister.

Escalating his attack, he accused Vijayan of holding meetings with RSS leaders in Thiruvananthapuram and maintaining backchannel contacts. He further alleged that the state government diluted key probes, including the Kodakara hawala case, to protect individuals linked to the ruling leadership.

Political heat ahead of Kerala elections

Concluding his remarks, Satheesan said the Congress does not need lessons from Vijayan on opposing the Sangh Parivar and asserted that more evidence would be presented. He challenged the Chief Minister to respond to the allegations as the Kerala election campaign gathers momentum.

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the Congress vs CPM political battle, with both sides trading accusations of a BJP–RSS nexus ahead of crucial elections in the state.

IANS