R S Rajeev, the vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Thiruvananthapuram district, has lodged a police complaint against the Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, A N Shamseer. The complaint alleges that Shamseer insulted ‘Hindu beliefs’ under the guise of promoting rational thinking.
The alleged incident occurred during a program at a school in Ernakulam on July 21. According to the complaint, the Kerala Speaker made remarks suggesting that the Centre should focus on teaching children about scientific and technological accomplishments rather than Hindu myths.
Rajeev’s complaint, filed with the Thiruvananthapuram city police Commissioner, calls for registering a case under IPC Section 153 (a), which deals with promoting enmity between different groups, and Section 295 (a), which deals with insulting religion or religious beliefs.
The complainant contends that Shamseer’s statements violate his constitutional oath, and the seriousness of the matter is exacerbated by the fact that they were made by the Assembly Speaker, a prominent legislator.
The complaint specifically objects to the Speaker’s remarks about Lord Ganesh and the ‘pushpaka vimanam,’ which were reportedly made in response to a question about the invention of airplanes.
The issue gained attention beyond the local level when Amit Malviya, the in-charge of BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, tweeted on July 24. Malviya accused the Kerala Speaker of using his position to denigrate Hindu faith and beliefs, and he questioned whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a former MP from Kerala, would distance his party from such views or remain silent on the matter.
