CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury ridicules JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda's claim on tie-up with BJP

Kochi: CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday ridiculed JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda's claim that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan supported his party's alliance with the BJP in Karnataka.

Gowda's statement has sparked political controversy in the southern state.

Addressing the media here on the sidelines of a party event in solidarity with Palestine under the slogan, "Stop Israel's War of Extermination on Palestine," Yechury said he was not surprised that JD(S) had joined hands with BJP as it was 'part of its culture'.

He said the state unit of JD(S) had announced their opposition to the BJP, and that's why they are continuing with the Left Democratic Front in Kerala.

"The charge that Pinarayi Vijayan agrees with that statement is ridiculous. There is no question of agreement. They (state unit of JD(S)) got separated from the BJP, that's why they are here with the LDF," Yechury said.

Gowda had said on Thursday in Bengaluru that Vijayan had granted full approval for the JD(S)' alliance with the BJP in Karnataka to protect the party's interests.

"I don't know whether he (Gowda) is mistaken or misinformed or what. But he is wrong," Yechury said.

The senior Left leader said that JD(S) had earlier also joined hands with the BJP to form the government.

"...this is the only party which has the word 'secular' then how can they go with the BJP. But they have gone with the BJP. So we know what is their commitment towards secularism. They have done it in the past, they have joined hands with the BJP to form the government. So it is a part of its own culture," Yechury said here.

Responding to the claim, Vijayan on Friday dismissed it as "both baseless and devoid of truth."

In a post on X, Vijayan said he was 'absolutely astonished' by Gowda's statement.

"The mere notion that I would even entertain the idea of supporting a JDS-BJP alliance is nothing short of a delusional fantasy. It is utterly disgraceful for a seasoned politician like Deve Gowda to make such unfounded lies. @cpimspeak has been an unwavering and unyielding force in the battle against the Sangh Parivar. There is no room for ambiguity in our stance," Vijayan said on X.

After a political row erupted in Kerala over the statement by the JD(S) supremo, the opposition Congress alleged that the JD(S) national leader's revelation has established the undercurrent between the ruling CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.

Gowda, a former Prime Minister, had on Thursday claimed that all the state units of the JD(S) including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra had given their consent to align with the BJP and that Vijayan has given full concurrence to move forward in Karnataka with the BJP to save the party.

Earlier, the Kerala unit of JD(S) had rejected the decision of the party leadership to join the NDA and said it will stand firm with the Left front in the state.

After the state committee meeting held at Kochi on October 7, JD(S) Kerala unit president Mathew T Thomas had said the high command made the announcement without discussion in any party forum.