Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : ‘Second Class Citizens’: Pinarayi Vijayan Slams Centre over Rising Hate Politics against Muslims and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
Vijayan said recent policies and laws of the Union government have created widespread fear and insecurity among Muslims across India
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of treating Muslims as second-class citizens and systematically pushing minority communities to the margins of the country’s social and political life.
Addressing a large gathering at the conclusion of the Kerala Yatra, organised by the Kerala Muslim Jamaat, Vijayan said recent policies and laws of the Union government have created widespread fear and insecurity among Muslims across India.
“Muslims in this country are being treated as second-class citizens,” the Chief Minister said. “Several decisions taken by the central government are not meant to unite society but to isolate minorities and weaken their confidence in the Constitution.”
The Kerala Yatra, led by prominent Muslim scholar A.P. Abubacker Musliyar, began on January 1 from Kasargod and travelled the length of the state before concluding in the capital. The programme focused on unity, constitutional rights and resistance to communal politics.
Vijayan said laws such as the Citizenship Act and the proposed changes to the Waqf Act were sending a message of exclusion. “These laws are not neutral. They make Muslims feel like outsiders in their own country,” he said, adding that such measures undermine the principle of equal citizenship.
Referring to incidents reported from several BJP-ruled states, the Chief Minister said Muslims were facing daily humiliation, intimidation and violence because of their religious identity. He cited recent incidents in Uttar Pradesh where a leader associated with a Hindutva group was seen distributing weapons and issuing calls for violence against Muslims.
“Mob lynching, open threats and hate speeches are becoming increasingly common,” Vijayan said. “Incidents from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana and Assam reveal a dangerous pattern. Silence from those in power only emboldens such elements.”
He said opposition parties had repeatedly raised these concerns and that public anger was visible during elections. “People are asking why governments fail to protect minorities and why those spreading hate are not punished,” he said.
Warning that India’s secular and democratic foundations were under severe strain, Vijayan said attacks on places of worship belonging to Muslims and Christians were part of a broader politics of division. “This is not accidental; it is deliberate,” he said.
Referring to Kerala’s own history, the Chief Minister recalled periods of communal tension in the state. “Firm action by the Left Democratic Front government ensured peace and prevented further violence,” he said. “Communalism can be defeated only by standing uncompromisingly for secular values.”
He urged people to stay alert and raise awareness against forces that spread hatred in the name of religion. “Yatras like this are important because they remind society that unity is our strength,” he said. “India belongs to all its people, not to one religion or one ideology.”
Leaders of the Kerala Muslim Jamaat echoed similar views, with one organiser saying, “This yatra was meant to tell Muslims that they are not alone and to remind the country that the Constitution promises equality to everyone.”