A massive political face-off has erupted over the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express between Ernakulam and Bengaluru, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM MP John Brittas hitting out at the Centre. 'It is outrageous that the song of the RSS, an organisation known for spreading religious hatred and divisive politics, was included in an official government function,' the Chief Minister said in a statement. The controversy began after the Southern Railway's social media handle posted and later deleted a video of students singing a song associated with the RSS, described as a 'patriotic song,' during the train's inaugural run. The CPM has accused the BJP-led Centre of using the railways for its communal agenda and of political maneuvering, alleging the Railway Minister held meetings with BJP leaders like Rajeev Chandrasekhar, now the BJP's Kerala state president, to announce the train service for electoral gains while sidelining the state's MPs.
00:00Moving on, as a massive political face-off that has erupted over the inauguration of Vandebhara train between Erna Kulam and Bengaluru,
00:13Kerala Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan has lashed out at the centre and the railways for making students sing RSS anthem during the inauguration of the train.
00:22The left is accusing the RSS of using railways for its communal propaganda.
00:30Satsang with the RSS of using railways for its communal propaganda.
00:50Carrying across to Shibimol, joining us on the broadcast with further details over the claims made by Pinarai Vijayan.
01:13And this particular group of students, were they asked to sing this anthem?
01:18What really had happened during the inauguration?
01:22Well, what we know is the Southern Railway had tweeted out and shared a video on Facebook,
01:29you know, which shows that the students were singing this R.S.'s song.
01:34And they shared it saying that it's a patriotic song sung by students on the inauguration of the Vande Bharath Express from Ernakulam to Bengaluru.
01:41Later, due to backlash, now we see that the Southern Railway has removed that video.
01:45And it's in that context that the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarai Vijayan and also the CPM has hit out at the center saying that, you know,
01:53the BJP-led center is trying to use a platform like the railways that play a very important, crucial role in the country for their own agenda,
02:03is what Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan has said.
02:05He said that it is highly protestable and everybody should raise their voice against this because railways belong to the country, not to R.S.'s.
02:13So in that context, implement, like, you know, trying to sneak in an R.S.'s song as a patriotic song is not acceptable.
02:20This is with hidden agenda and motives.
02:22And that should be called out is what Chief Minister said.
02:25And the CPM MP, John Brittas, was also hit out, harshly saying that this is a new way of, you know,
02:30trying to implement the Sankh Parivar agenda in public platforms and public institutions like the railways.
02:38He also says that, you know, there was a train moving from Ernakulam to Bengaluru,
02:43which was stopped suddenly.
02:45The services were terminated suddenly.
02:47And MPs from Kerala, including him, had approached the, you know, approached the southern railways to restart that service.
02:56And the railways had promised that they will restart the service and they will, you know,
03:01they will allot a new Vande Bharat Express for that route.
03:04That was promised.
03:05But despite all that, what the CPM MP is saying is that the railway minister held a quick meeting
03:13with the BJP state chief here, Rajiv Chandrasek and other BJP leaders and suddenly announced that,
03:18okay, this will, Bengaluru from Ernakulam to Bengaluru, Vande Bharat Express will be allotted to Kerala.
03:23So despite the MPs holding meeting with the railways, what happened was the BJP's interests were implemented.
03:31The railway minister went on and held a meeting in stock with the MPs.
03:34He held a meeting with the BJP chief here and other BJP leaders of the state.
03:37So he says that with the elections in the mind, elections approaching in Kerala,
03:42again, the BJP is trying to portray that whatever is happening in the state
03:45or whatever development is coming to the state, it's through the BJP.
03:48So two controversies out there, both CPM as well as Chief Minister Pindrai Vijayan
03:53coming out and hitting harshly against the centre and the railway saying that this should not be done.
03:59Right.
03:59Shibhimol, I want to thank you for getting us the latest details.
04:02Of course, we continue to track every response coming in on this.
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