Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan said that the Congress has failed to check the controversial policies of the Muslim League in the education sector, which has caused resentment among other communities.
Speaking at a seminar on ‘Religion and Politics’ organised by the AIYF as part of the death anniversary commemoration of former Chief Minister P K Vasudevan Nair here on Thursday, he said that the effective show by BJP in the Neyyattinkkara byelection can be directly attributed to the communal policies of the UDF Government.
“The UDF Government which played a ‘cheap trick’ to pacify ministers belonging to other communities after the fifth Minister row by shuffling the portfolios, would now try to appease the communities aggrieved by the policies in the education sector through offering them new institutions,” he said.
Noting that the CPM had always tried to keep the communal forces at bay, he said that party has a history of dismissing those who have tried to work out a pact with Muslim League.
Referring to the out-of-court settlement in the Enrica Lexie firing case and the statement made by a Cardinal, he said that almost every issue in the state is assuming a religious colour.
‘CPM and Congress Equally Responsible’
Speaking at the seminar, Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed said that both Congress and the CPM were equally responsible for the unholy ties with communal parties. Arayadan, who began his speech by stating that he agreed with most of the ideas of VS, said that the influence of communal forces can be checked if both the UDF and LDF put an end to appeasement of caste and religious forces.
However, citing the CPM pacts with PDP and Jaamath e-Islami, he said that the CPM should end the policy of criticising communal parties on the one hand and working with them when the occasion arises.
Aryadan said that Achuthanandan may not be a party in CPM’s attempt to woo communal forces but the party’s official decision was different.
‘CPI and CPM should Unite’
Aryadan Mohammed said that the CPI and the CPM should unite if Left parties are to gain strength in the country. The Left parties should reckon the fact that their strength is on the wane, he said.
He said that the only alternative to the Congress in the country should be Left parties and not BJP and other communal forces. Even after 65 years of Independence, the Left movement has not gained strength in the country and they should conduct a reality check in the issue.
AIYF state president G Krishnaprasad presided over the inaugural function. RSP leader N K Premachandaran, C Divakaran MLA, Mullakkara Ratnakaran MLA, CPI leaders K R Chandramohan, P S Supal, R Ramachandran and AIYF state secretary K Rajan spoke.