Thiruvananthapuram, March 4 Amid rising tensions between Iran and Gulf nations, Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday accused the ruling Left and the Opposition Congress of ignoring the concerns of Malayali expatriates in GCC countries for the sake of what he described as "appeasement politics".
Chandrasekhar said Iran's attacks on Gulf nations have direct implications for lakhs of families in Kerala, given the state’s deep economic and social links with the region.
“Ignoring this ground reality, pro-Iran responses are being made in Kerala. Both the Left and the Congress-led fronts are taking positions based on vote-bank considerations,” he alleged, adding that such approaches end up encouraging religious extremism.
He maintained that the position of the Central government and the BJP is unambiguous -- ensuring the safety and protection of Indians abroad, irrespective of the country they reside in.
“There is no politics in ensuring the security of our citizens abroad,” he said, while criticising the CPI(M) and the Congress for not explicitly condemning Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries.
The BJP leader said the party in Kerala stands firmly with Malayali expatriates working across GCC nations, which account for the largest concentration of overseas workers from the state.
Chandrasekhar also criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, questioning their silence on reported killings of Christians in countries such as Syria and Nigeria.
While they express concern over developments in Gaza and Iran, he asked why they were not speaking out against violence targeting Christians elsewhere.
Stating that Iran had carried out attacks on GCC countries without provocation, Chandrasekhar said the reluctance of political leaders in Kerala to respond unequivocally was “condemnable".
Political parties, he said, must prioritise the safety and interests of the people, particularly expatriate communities whose livelihoods are closely tied to the Gulf region.
Kerala has around 2.5 million people working in various Middle Eastern countries, and over the past five decades remittances from expatriates have remained a key pillar of the state’s economy.
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