KOCHI: In a clear move to prevent the BJP from making inroads into the Christian minorities in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued a pointed warning to the community to be wary of RSS’ attempts to influence them.

“A few Christian leaders have occasionally expressed support for communal forces, often driven by personal motives,” Pinarayi said in an exclusive interaction with TNIE as part of ‘Express Dialogues’, in connection with the LDF government’s fourth anniversary.

“There is a serious attempt by the RSS to influence sections of the Christian community to take a communal stance. There is even a particular organisation working towards this. These campaigns are well-supported and well-funded,” he cautioned.

While acknowledging that the Christian community is not unaware of the happenings, Pinarayi stressed the need for deeper understanding of the threat. “They should understand the actual danger in this. Secularism must be upheld unconditionally, and any form of communalism should be opposed,” he said.

Pinarayi was also highly critical of the Congress party’s approach towards the Opposition unity at the national level. He said the Congress has failed to effectively lead the INDIA bloc, which was expected of it. He also accused the grand old party of prioritising its own interests over the collective fight against BJP.

The veteran leader said the CPM never viewed the INDIA bloc as a formal alliance but as a platform to build common ground against the BJP’s policies, guided by state-specific contexts.

“Congress, being the bigger party in the INDIA bloc and with its wider presence, has the most significant role to play. But the experiences so far show that the party and its leadership have no clear understanding about it at all,” the chief minister said.