Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday dismissed claims that he was adopting a "soft Hindutva" political line following his recent visit to the Kollur Mookambika temple, maintaining that his religious practice is an individual freedom protected by the Constitution.

Addressing media queries during a press conference here, Satheesan pointed out that he has been offering prayers at the Karnataka-based shrine for nearly four decades, making the allegations against him entirely groundless.

"When I go to the Mookambika temple, it is my personal right. I have the constitutional right to believe in God. How can that be called soft Hindutva," he asked.

The Chief Minister clarified that his association with the place of worship dates back to the 1990s, identifying himself as a regular devotee.

"I have been going to Mookambika temple for the last 37 years. I am a devotee of Kollur Mookambika. I am very happy to say that," he said.

Satheesan noted sarcastically that it would be highly unusual if his assumption of public office required him to suddenly abandon his long-standing personal traditions.

Turning on his detractors, he questioned the basis of their mindset, suggesting that such criticism serves as an affront to anyone who practices their faith openly.

"The majority of people visit temples, churches and mosques. Can anyone say that I should stop going to a temple because I have become the Chief Minister," Satheesan asked.

He further claimed that his political rivals were deliberately manufacturing the controversy to deflect public attention away from internal instability within their own ranks, attributing the accusations to political desperation.

 

PTI