Thiruvananthapuram: Actor Joy Mathew on Friday criticised chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's stand on the demolition of a Cross in an encroached land in Idukki district.

He said when dalits and adivasis put up tents in Muthanga and Chengara demanding land, the government did not hesitate to open fire and use force against them. Now it was crying hoarse over demolition of the Cross installed in encroached land.

At the cultural meet here, the actor said Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is considered Hindutva mascot, had demolished 80 temples while he was Gujarat chief minister. "That is called boldness," he said.

“There is no point talking about walking fearlessly in front of knives and swords. That is not bravery but blowing one’s own trumpet, the chief minister should realise,” he said while taking a dig at Pinarayi Vijayan.

Joy Mathew slammed M. M. Mani for targeting upright officer like Sreeram Venkataraman. “Instead of supporting upright officers, the government was targeting them. The young generation is looking up to such honest officers,” he said. The actor lauded revenue minister E. Chandrashekharan’s bold stand against encroachments.

Mr Mathew said each and every citizen had the right to criticise the government which ran on tax payers money.