Minister A K Balan complains to EC against Chennithala and Nair

PALAKKAD: Minister A K Balan lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala for their alleged attempts to label the polling as a fight between the faithful and non-believers.

In his complaint, the minister accused the UDF and the BJP of misusing the election in the name of faith and religion. Kerala’s electoral history had ever witnessed such a grave and dangerous situation, Balan said.

Referring to Nair’s comments that Ayyappa devotees had been bitter about the Sabarimala events that took place in the wake of the Supreme Court order permitting entry for women of all age into the temple, Balan said that the NSS leader was deliberately trying to portray the election as a battle between the believers and non-believers.

Balan also complained against Chennithala for his remarks that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would have to face Lord Ayyappa’s wrath. Those statements are against the Constitution, and completely in violation of the country’s democratic values, Balan said. Seeking the commission’s immediate intervention, Balan said that Chennithala and Nair were deliberately trying to misuse the people’s faith on the election day as they both foresaw a complete electoral rout.