Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan defends his decision to use his caste surname 'Menon' during his swearing-in ceremony, sparking debate about caste identity and political messaging in the state.
Key Points
- Kerala CM V D Satheesan defends using the caste surname 'Menon' during his swearing-in ceremony, stating it was to honour his father.
- Satheesan faced criticism on social media and from some Congress leaders for using the caste surname, sparking debate about caste identity.
- Some Congress insiders suggest the use of the surname was a strategic move to appeal to the Hindu community.
- The leadership of major Hindu community organisations were reportedly not in favour of Satheesan's selection as CM.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday defended his use of the caste surname 'Menon' during his swearing-in ceremony, saying he had only mentioned his father's name and saw nothing wrong in doing so on such an occasion.
Controversy Over Surname Usage
His remarks came a day after he faced criticism from sections of social media as well as some Congress leaders for using the caste surname during the swearing-in ceremony, triggering a debate in the state over caste identity and political messaging.
"Why is it wrong if I mention my father's name. Shouldn't I remember him," Satheesan asked while speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting here.
"I mentioned my father's name and remembered my mother in my mind. There was no scope to mention my mother's name as well. Otherwise, I would have mentioned that too," the senior Congress leader said.
Comparison With Previous Oath
The controversy erupted after some social media users compared Satheesan's latest oath as chief minister with the oath he took as a legislator in 2021.
During the earlier swearing-in in the Assembly, he had identified himself simply as 'V D Satheesan'.
However, at the recent ceremony of the new United Democratic Front government, he had said: "I, Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan..."
Political Messaging Allegations
While a section of Congress insiders maintained that the chief minister had merely used the expanded form of his name during the ceremony, others claimed there was a 'message' behind the use of the caste surname.
According to them, the gesture could be interpreted as an attempt to reach out to sections of the Hindu community amid criticism from Sangh Parivar organisations and the BJP over the Congress-led UDF's political engagement with the Indian Union Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Hindu Community Organisations
The leadership of two major Hindu community organisations in Kerala--the Nair Service Society (NSS), representing the Nair community to which Satheesan belongs, and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam representing the numerically strong Ezhava community, were reportedly not in favour of his selection as the CM.
Congress leaders Jinto John and Anoop V R were among those who criticised Satheesan's use of the surname during the oath-taking ceremony.
