Kerala BJP wants to overthrow ‘corrupt central govt’? Campaign song gaffe leaves state unit red-faced

Kerala BJP wants to overthrow ‘corrupt central govt’? Campaign song gaffe leaves state unit red-faced

Chennai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kerala unit found itself in a pickle Wednesday after a campaign song meant for this year’s general election had a line seemingly criticising its own central government. The BJP took it down after the video went viral.

The song, released on YouTube as part of Kerala BJP president K. Surendran’s month-long ‘Kerala Padayatra’ — or foot march — across Kerala, had a line attacking the “corrupt central government”.

“Azhimathikku peruketta kendrabharana thanthraminnu thachudakkan ani nirakku koottare (Join hands to overthrow the corrupt central government),” the song said.

The party leadership is also learnt to have asked its IT cell for clarification.

Surendran’s padayatra began at Kasaragod on 27 January and is slated to conclude at Thiruvananthapuram on 27 February. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the concluding ceremony.

ThePrint tried to reach Suvarna Prasad, the Kerala BJP’s media convenor, for comment via. This report will be updated if and when he responds.

This is the second time in a week that there has been a controversy surrounding the foot march. On 20 February, a poster of the BJP’s party programmes said Surendran would have “lunch with SC/ST leaders”. While Congress leaders alleged that such a programme revealed the BJP’s upper-caste mindset, the party’s Kerala president remained defiant.

“Is it wrong to say I am having lunch with SC/ST leaders? I have had breakfast with Christian leaders. I have had lunch with the Vishwakarma leaders. I had tea and snacks from a mosque this morning. It gets recorded on schedule too,” he said Wednesday, adding that he, too, was from a backward caste.

He further said: “Thirteen SC/ST organisation leaders attended our programmes in Kozhikode. None of them are BJP members. I ate lunch with them and I’m proud to say that”.

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)