THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tension erupted in Neyyattinkara, located in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district, on Wednesday evening as RSS activists protested against Tushar Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, during the inauguration of a statue of Gandhian representative Gopinathan Nair at his residence near TB Junction.
The unrest was sparked by Tushar’s comment in his speech, where he stated, “the soul of the nation is afflicted with cancer, and the Sangh Parivar is spreading it.” Enraged BJP and RSS supporters demanded a retraction and an apology from Tushar, who, however, stood firm on his statement, chanting “hail, Gandhi” as he departed. The protesters shouted slogans and impeded his vehicle, but Tushar remained defiant, countering with chants such as “down with RSS” and “long live Gandhi” before leaving the scene.
The Congress party condemned the actions of the RSS-BJP activists, with the state chief K Sudhakaran accusing them of being haunted by the “ghost of (Nathuram) Godse.” He also expressed concern over the silence of the CPM regarding the incident.