A comment by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah that one cannot make out whether Wayanad is in India or Pakistan triggered a controversy in Kerala with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) seeking action against him by the Election Commission (EC) for creating communal divisions.

At a rally in Nagpur on Wednesday, Shah said: “When a procession is taken out there, it is difficult to make out whether it is India or Pakistan,” Shah said.

Shah was referring to the green flags of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a Congress ally in Kerala’s United Democratic Front. Some social media users had mistaken the flag to be Pakistan’s national flag.

Slamming Shah’s speech, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “He insulted the people of Kerala and Wayanad. Wayanad has a glorious past.”

LDF’s Wayanad constituency convener C K Sasindran submitted a complaint to the state chief electoral officer and the chief election commissioner on Thursday, seeking action against
Shah.

“He has divided people on communal lines and tried to create animosity between different religions. It is part of a hate campaign and against the poll code of conduct,” the petition said.

First Published: Apr 11, 2019 23:11 IST