Kannur: Responding to casteist slurs hurled at him by a section of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) supporters, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated on Sunday that he was proud of his late father's profession.
The other day, a group of IUML activists had said during a protest march that "Kerala was not given as dowry for the toddy-tapper". Vijayan's father Koran was a toddy-tapper.
"What wrong did my father do to you? The poor man died when I was in high school. Was being a toddy-tapper his fault?" Vijayan asked during the Kannur district conference of the CPM.
"I have said it before that I am proud to call myself the son of a toddy-tapper," he added.
The chief minister further attacked IUML leader Abdurahman Kallayi, who made derogatory remarks at PWD Minister PA Muhammad Riyas.
Kallayi had later apologised and was also booked for his remarks against Riyas, who married Vijayan's daughter Veena. However, the chief minister was unwilling to spare the man.
"I can only say that it is your culture. You could only say such things because that is what you have observed. My only advice is not to fail to recognise your own mother and sister, okay," Vijayan said.
