After Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane ignited a nationwide debate by controversially referring to Kerala as a ‘mini-Pakistan’ during a public gathering in Pune on December 29, 2024, his remarks invited a fierce backlash, particularly from Kerala’s political leaders.
What did Nitesh Rane say?
During an event in Purandar tehsil, Rane, who holds the portfolios of fisheries and ports in the Maharashtra government, said, ‘Kerala is mini Pakistan, that is why Rahul Gandhi and his sister are elected from there. All terrorists vote for them.’
The backlash follows
The remarks did not go unnoticed, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters, including Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
In a pointed response, CM Vijayan called Rane’s comment ‘deeply malicious and utterly condemnable.’
Mr. Vijayan accused the Sangh Parivar, the ideological guide of Rane’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of orchestrating hate campaigns against Kerala, a state he described as a ‘bastion of secularism & communal harmony.’ He urged democratic and secular forces to unite against what he called the Sangh Parivar’s hateful propaganda.
The Chief Minister’s response was echoed by other political leaders from Kerala. Congress leaders in the state demanded Mr. Rane’s disqualification over his remarks, claiming they violated his oath of office and were divisive.
VD Satheesan of the Congress party, leader of the opposition in Kerala, called for Nitesh Rane’s resignation, highlighting the broader political narrative where both BJP and CPI(M) were seen as collaborating to undermine Kerala’s secular heritage.
Nitesh Rane tries to clarify
Maharashtra Minister Rane later attempted to clarify his statement, insisting he was comparing the situation in Kerala with Pakistan due to concerns over religious conversions and what he referred to as ‘love jihad.’ He maintained that Kerala is very much part of India but highlighted what he perceived as a decline in the Hindu population and an increase in religious conversions, which he linked to his controversial comparison.
The incident has pointed out the ongoing tensions between states over perceptions of communal harmony and political allegiance. Kerala, known for its high human development indices and communal harmony, has often been at the center of such debates, especially with its resistance to BJP’s political ideology.