The Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his recent remarks in support of Iran in the ongoing conflict in West Asia, saying the statement reflected his “politics of appeasement”.
BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar told a press conference that Mr Vijayan’s remarks were seen as supporting Iran while he remained silent on attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries where a large number of Keralites live.
“Why do you only talk about Iran? Is it not part of your appeasement policy? Why don’t you condemn attacks by Iran,” he asked.
Pointing out that the Union government is not against Iran, Mr. Chandrasekhar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made it clear that war is not a solution to anything. If there is any dispute, it should be resolved diplomatically and that is the established position of the Government of India and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he said.
He also said that it was the Union government that gave permission to the Iranian ship to dock safely in Kochi.
Mr. Chandrasekhar further said that it was not the Iranian people but the Keralites who gave the mandate to the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
The BJP chief also urged Mr Vijayan to talk about what he has done for the people of Kerala in the last 10 years instead of talking about Iran, Syria or Gaza “to divert public attention”.
Published – March 8, 2026 8:42 PM IST
