Mangaluru: The Hindu outfits which remained silent during Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief’s visit to India, were making huge hue and cry when a chief minister from a neighbouring state was visiting out city. What sense does this make, questioned Minister U T Khader in a press conference in Mangaluru on Tuesday.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s visit to take part in a communal harmony rally had stirred a sense of unrest in the region as right wing activists gave a clarion call to observe bundh in the city. The protesters also resorted to pelting stones at buses. In the melee CPIM office in Thokkottu too was torched by miscreants.

In this context Khader had made a statement that the right wing activists who were creating scenes were fit to be beaten with footwear.

This statement had not gone down well with many.

Clarifying the same, Khader reiterated that his intention was not to hurt any individual or organisation, but what he wanted to put across was a simple point that such behaviour would only tarnish the image of the region in front of the guest (Vijayan).

“I was in no way supporting the CPIM. My daughter too has told me that my statement was incorrect. Even veteran leader Janardhan Poojary too expressed his disappointment over my statement. But, when something was happening against the constitutional framework, I happened to speak in such a manner,” he said indirectly accepting his mistake, adding that politicising the same too is incorrect.