The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday strongly condemned the alleged disruption of Christmas celebrations at a school by local activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and urged everyone "to unite against communal forces" in the state.

Extending his greetings on Christmas Eve, the Chief Minister said that the people of Kerala possess "a unique mindset and openness to accept and understand the beliefs of others, treating others' happiness as their own." Vijayan added, "We see every celebration as an opportunity to share the sweetness of love".

Further, he said that it is a tradition in Kerala for people of different religious groups to join in one another's celebrations.

"Today, some malicious communal forces are attempting to weaken this tradition and turn religious beliefs into causes of hatred," the Marxist veteran said, in a statement.

Recent incidents of attacks on Christmas celebrations by the "Sangh Parivar" highlight this troubling reality, he noted.

"We have a responsibility to resist these forces and protect the true essence of our state," Vijayan emphasised.

He also wished that the birth of Jesus Christ would "bring messages of humanity and love" and urged everyone to celebrate Christmas together.

The alleged disruption of Christmas celebrations at a school by VHP activists and the destruction of a symbolic crib created by children in another school by unidentified miscreants in Palakkad district recently sparked widespread protests in Kerala.

The state government has deployed a special police team to investigate these incidents.

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