The political battle in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections hit a new low on Tuesday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hurled abusive remarks at his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy.
Vijayan's remarks came in response to Reddy's scathing criticism against him during a Congress campaign rally in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Dash mone Revanth… you will be responded soon,” the Kerala chief minister said at a press conference.
Reddy, while addressing the camapaign rally, had dared Vijayan to a debate and said, “Nee po mone Vijaya” (You get lost, Vijayan), mimicking a popular Mohan Lal dialogue from the movie Narasimham. He also claimed that Vijayan’s tenure as Kerala chief minister was over and predicted a UDF victory in the upcoming elections.
On Monday, Reddy shot off a six-page letter to Vijayan, expressing his willingness for a fact-based debate with the Kerala chief minister on Telangana’s development.
“I am ready to debate with Pinarayi Vijayan whenever he gives me the opportunity. My question is, who is his role model—Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, or Jyoti Basu and Somnath Chatterjee?” he asked.
Responding, Vijayan emphasised that a chief minister is expected to maintain decorum. “Let him reflect on whether his statements adhered to these norms. Since he has raised it publicly, I am responding publicly. I am not elaborating further, but all I can say is: ‘Dash mone Revanth, you will be responded soon,’” he stated.
As the political slugfest intensifies, the Kerala Chief Minister wrote a letter to Revanth Reddy, noting that while political differences are natural, he firmly rejects the use of personally insulting remarks to express disagreement.
He stressed that the LDF government's accountability to its people is continuous and accused Reddy's statements of lacking factual backing.
"You accused the LDF of not criticising the ruling BJP enough. Yet, it is the Government of Keralam fighting legal battles in the Apex Court under Articles 131 and 32 against the BJP-led Government encroaching on the rights of the States," he said.
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He also added that a strong stand matters and does not require a language crossing the borders of decency.
Kerala’s 140-member Assembly elections are scheduled for April 9, with vote counting on May 4. While the CPI(M)-led LDF seeks a third consecutive term, the Congress-led UDF hopes to capitalise on anti-incumbency sentiment to reclaim power.