Book launch was not an RSS function: Kerala Oppn leader Satheeshan

Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (IANS) Kerala Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan has said that the book launch of RSS ideologue, the late P. Parameswaran was not an RSS event. It was a book release function to which he was invited by the late Janata Dal leader and former minister, M.P Veerendra Kumar.

Satheeshan was rattled by the claims of the RSS that he had attended a RSS function and had lit the lamp in front of the photographs of Bharat Mata and Guru Golwalkar, the second 'Sarsanghchalak' of the RSS.

He did not respond to the media on Sunday when the allegations came up but chose to respond on Monday at the party state headquarters, Indira Bhavan. He said that veteran CPM leader and former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan had released the book at Thiruvananthapuram and he had attended the function at Thrissur. He said that 'Swami Vivekananda and an enlightened Kerala' was the book release in which he participated.

He added that he had never gone to the RSS or other fundamentalist organizations for getting votes. Even if his political career comes to an end, he won't seek the votes of fundamentalists like the RSS.

The opposition leader said that he was an ardent critic of the RSS and that the organization had conducted several protest marches to his home at Paravur. He said that the RSS had openly stated that it would send him into political wilderness by defeating him in Paravur assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, BJP national executive member and former state president, P.K. Krishnadas while addressing media persons at Kozhikode on Monday said that Satheeshan had participated in the function with the full knowledge that it was an RSS function. He said that Satheeshan had lit the lamp in front of the photographs of Bharat Mata and the second 'Sarsanghchalak' of the RSS, Guru Golwalkar.