Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded an apology from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his alleged derogatory remarks against the people of Malappuram district. Chennithala also accused the CM of shielding ADGP (Law & Order) M R Ajith Kumar following reports of the senior police officer's meeting with RSS leaders.

"The Chief Minister's interview with a national daily seems to be aimed at aiding saffron forces. Pinarayi is echoing the same allegations against Malappuram that the RSS propagates. Gold smuggling is happening at multiple airports, but instead of addressing these issues, he is unfairly blaming the people of Malappuram for gold smuggling and hawala money transfers,” said Chennithala at a press conference here on Thursday

He recalled his previous statements on Pinarayi acting under the influence of a PR agency. “He continues to follow the directives from a PR team. It's concerning that the Chief Minister has hired an agency that has worked on campaigns for the BJP in states like Maharashtra,” Chennithala added.