THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Fisheries and Culture Minister Saji Cherian on Wednesday withdrew his controversial remarks and expressed unconditional regret, saying his words were distorted and projected as being against a particular community, leading to pain and misunderstanding.
Cherian had said on Sunday: “Look at the list of winners in the Kasaragod municipality and Malappuram district panchayat. There will be a situation where a person cannot win in a place where his community is not in the majority. In Muslim areas, the IUML wins, and in Hindu areas, it is the BJP. Whereas the CPI(M), which promotes secularism, is getting defeated.”
In a detailed press statement issued on Wednesday, the minister said the campaign built around his remarks had deeply hurt him as it directly undermined the secular values he claimed to have upheld throughout his public life. Attempts to portray him as communal, he said, were completely at odds with his beliefs and political conduct.