Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan paid tribute to late PP Mukundan and said that he lived and died for an ideology that he believed in. Khan added that the philosophy Mukundan believed in did not prevent him from cultivating excellent rapport with people of all schools of thought.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated, “the late PP Mukundan was an exemplary leader. He showed how to work in an organisation. He remembered Mukundan’s presence in the meetings convened by the government. He was always active and cooperative in maintaining peace when conflicts took place in Kannur district. Mukundan succeeded in maintaining wonderful relations with opposition parties even though there were serious differences of opinion between them. He was a dedicated leader. He was a role model for workers of the organisation and he never ever flaunted his position. He will be remembered for his self-sacrifice.”
C Divakaran, senior CPI leader and former minister, told that if RSS consists of people like PP Mukundan, he loves RSS. He recalled an incident in connection with the permission to run RSS Shakha on a plot, in Thiruvananthapuram, owned by a CPI man. The owner asked the Sangh workers to stop the Shakha, thanks to a phone call from him (Divakaran). Mukundan visited Divakaran at his house and requested him not to withdraw the permission to run the Shakha in his comrade’s plot. Divakaran remembered that Mukundan’s gentle approach and his attractive personality attracted the attention of his entire family. members. His wife asked him not to stop the Shakha. He said that his style was impressive. In the past, communist parties had similar styles.
BJP State President Surendran said that Mukundan’s demise caused an irreparable loss to his party. The respect and popularity he commanded was incredible even when he was sans any position or authority. Mukundan was familiar with the homes and family members of ordinary party workers.
RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Sadasya S Sethumadavan told about the calibre of late Mukundan. Former union Minister and senior BJP leader O Rajagopal, Senior Congress leader and Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Convener MM Hassan, senior BJP leader K Rama Pillai, Kerala minister Antony Raju and Communist Marxist Party general secretary and UDF leader C.P. John also paid tributes.
BJP Thiruvananthapuram district president Advocate VV Rajesh addressed the gathering while paying tribute to the departed soul. The presence of the state Governor, the leaders of various political parties, even those of Communist parties including the chief minister, underlines the unparalleled public relations and personal contacts the late leader had cultivated. He was ‘Mukundettan’ for all. In Malayalam, “ettan” means elder brother. There was even a chief minister in Kerala, some time back, who addressed him ‘Mukundettan’. This happened despite the fact that BJP was never even an opposition party in the assembly, except for 2016 – 2011 when O. Rajagopalji was the lone MLA.
Prime Minister Narendra Modiji had a close relationship with late P.P. Mukundan. Both leaders were contemporaries as BJP state organising secretaries in their respective states, Gujarat and Kerala. Prime Minister Narendra tweeted: “PP Mukundanji will be remembered for his simplicity and hard work. People from all walks of life respected him for his intelligence and grassroot connections. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the BJP in Kerala.”
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