BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane has stirred a storm with his Islamophobic remarks targeting Kerala and voters of Congress senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Speaking at an event in Pune, Rane labeled Kerala as a “mini-Pakistan” and accused Congress leaders of relying on votes from “terrorists” to secure their electoral victories.
“Kerala is a mini-Pakistan. That is why Rahul Gandhi and his sister are elected from there. All terrorists vote for them. This is the truth, you can ask. They have become MPs after taking terrorists with them,” Rane said, referring to their election victories in Wayanad.
Rane’s comments drew sharp criticism from the Congress and other opposition parties. Congress state spokesperson Atul Londhe called for his dismissal from the Maharashtra Cabinet, questioning if someone who undermines national unity deserved to hold office. “This minister is terming Kerala as Pakistan and the voters of the Opposition as terrorists. Does this person have a right to remain in the Cabinet?” Londhe asked.
Former Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar also condemned the remarks, calling them an “insult to a state and an attack on India’s unity.” He demanded accountability from the Union government for the Mahayuti coalition’s provocative statements.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan denounced Rane’s statements as “deeply malicious” and a reflection of the Sangh Parivar’s hate campaigns against Kerala. “Such rhetoric reflects the hate campaigns orchestrated by the Sangh Parivar against Kerala, a bastion of secularism and communal harmony. We strongly denounce this vile attack on Kerala and call upon all democratic and secular forces to unite against Sangh Parivar’s hateful propaganda,” Vijayan said.
Even though Vijayan criticised Rane, contradicting his stand, CPI(M) Politburo member A Vijayaraghavan echoed the same sentiment earlier this month. In fact, Vijayaraghavan was the first to push a similar narrative.
At a CPI(M) event, he had accused Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of winning elections in Wayanad due to a “communal Muslim alliance.” He said, “Two persons have gone from Wayanad (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi). With whose support? With the strong support of the communal Muslim alliance. The worst extremist elements in the minorities were in the front and back rows of Priyanka Gandhi’s processions.”
Following the backlash, Rane defended his statements by citing baseless claims reminiscent of the controversial and debunked narratives propagated by the Sangh Parivar against Kerala, as portrayed in the film The Kerala Story. He alleged, without evidence, that a significant number of Hindus in Kerala were being converted to Islam and Christianity through “love jihad,” a claim that has no basis in facts.
“There is a declining population of Hindus in Kerala, and religious conversion of Hindus into Christians and Muslims is becoming a daily occurrence. Love jihad cases are increasing there,” Rane claimed. However, the Union Home Ministry has stated that Indian law has no provision defining “love jihad,” and no credible evidence supports the existence of such a phenomenon.
