THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KPCC President K Sudhakaran claimed on Wednesday that the CPM is harming secular Kerala by fully defending the severe remarks made by Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer.

"The speaker, who is sitting in a constitutional position, should be cautious about expressing opinions on religious issues. His remarks have caused pain to believers. The Speaker should have corrected the mistake respecting the sentiments of the people. Instead of igniting communalism in the state, the Speaker should end the problem immediately by correcting his mistake," Sudhakaran said.

"The CPM state secretary, who is shouting that there is no need for an apology, should not forget the recent history of the party leaders going from house to house apologizing for taking the wrong stand in the Sabarimala issue. The CPM, which has been claiming that the party is with believers, often takes the stand of offending the believers. That is what we are witnessing now," he said.