Congress leaders in Kerala are divided over party veteran A.K. Antony’s advice to refrain from labelling sections of the Hindu community as followers of “soft Hindutva” as the party needs their support to dislodge Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power.

The Congress Working Committee member and former defence minister had on Wednesday told a party event marking its foundation day in Thiruvananthapuram that the support of Hindus was imperative to fight against fascism and end the reign of Modi.

He had also cautioned the party that labelling anyone with religious markers such as sandalwood paste on the forehead as followers of “soft Hindutva” would only help the BJP.

“Muslims can go to mosques and Christians can go to churches. But the assumption that any Hindu who goes to temples, wears a tilak or sandal paste are followers of soft Hindutva would only help return Modi to power,” Antony told the party event. He further reminded his party that to win the 2024 general election, “minorities are not enough as Hindus are the majority”.

A day after Antony’s comments, disparate voices have been heard in the Congress. Lok Sabha member Rajmohan Unnithan objected to Antony’s statement, noting that the Congress must not be linked to any particular religion or community.

“The Congress is a secular organisation and not one that belongs to any religion,” Unnithan told reporters on Thursday.

“It is the Congress that transformed a highly religious society into a secular nation. So there is no relevance in the argument that any particular community should be included or excluded in the Congress,” said Unnithan, who represents Kasaragod where Muslim votes are decisive. But Antony received the support of leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan.

“I fully endorse what he has said. I had myself spoken about this in the Assembly. Everyone who wears sandal paste or saffron mundu (dhoti) is not a BJP supporter,” he said, alluding to how many Malayalis regularly wear sandal paste, tilak and saffron mundu.

“Going to temples is just like going to mosques or churches.... Describing those who wear sandal paste and saffron mundu as practitioners of soft Hindutva would only help the BJP,” he warned. Lok Sabha member from Thrissur, K. Muraleedharan, also backed Antony’s take.

“The Congress has always welcomed believers and rationalists. But it is the party’s policy that everyone should move forward respecting each other.”

Muraleedharan accused the CPM of spinning the theory that Congress leaders who visit temples are practitioners of soft Hindutva.

“It’s the CPM that triggered such discussions in Kerala. Descriptions such as minority appeasement and soft Hindutva are far from reality,” he said.

“Neither the BJP nor the RSS has the broadmindedness of the Hindu religion. They are only trying to divide the society based on religion,” Muraleedharan added.

A former minister who declined to be named told this newspaper that while it was all right to visit temples, the Congress needed to be careful not to be seen closer to any community.

“All that should matter is that ours is a secular party and we can’t afford to be identified with any religion or caste,” he cautioned.

The CPM has often slammed what it calls the “soft Hindutva” approach of its main rival in Kerala. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury had in April urged the Congress to give up its “prevarications and compromising attitudes”, an oblique reference to soft Hindutva.