Kerala Communist MP criticises Tirunavaya Kumbh Mela plans amid BJP row

Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Binoy Viswam has registered his opposition to the Tirunavaya Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu religious congregation planned in Kerala's Malappuram district. The CPI(M) leader's stance has triggered a strong rebuke from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has accused the Left party of harbouring anti-Hindu sentiments.

Viswam's objections centre on concerns regarding the scale and management of the proposed event, though specific details of the communist leader's reservations remain unclear. The Kumbh Mela holds significant religious importance in Hindu tradition and attracts millions of devotees from across the country.

The BJP has seized on the opposition to launch a counter-offensive, framing the CPI(M) position as discriminatory towards Hindu religious practices. The party has accused the communist party of maintaining a double standard in its approach to religious gatherings in the state.

The Tirunavaya Mela, traditionally held on the banks of the Nila river in Kerala, has been a focal point of regional religious and cultural significance. The proposed elevation to Kumbh Mela status represents a major expansion of the event's scale and religious prominence, which has now become a flashpoint in Kerala's ongoing political discourse around communal issues and religious expression.