THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent closed-door meeting between the RSS and the Jamaat-e-Islami and a few other Muslim organisations in New Delhi has set off a new political storm, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan questioning the very logic of the gathering.
Unleashing a scathing attack on the Jamaat, Pinarayi alleged the talks will only favour the RSS agenda against minorities. It exposes the Jamaat’s hypocrisy, he said. The CM asked how these organisations could engage with the RSS, which is determined to shred the country’s secular fabric.
“How can secularism and minority protection prevail with RSS in the picture? These acts amount to compromising with the RSS agenda. No more evidence is needed to prove that the two communal elements are in lockstep and that they determined to demolish secularism and democratic values,” Pinarayi said.
He also mocked the claims of the Jamaat leadership that there needs to be dialogue, saying that itself was proof of their hypocrisy. “The Jamaat leadership should clarify the agenda of their talks. Their logic that RSS is an organisation which can be refined and transformed is like changing the spots of the leopard by bathing it. Who gave Jamaat the right to speak on beahlf of minorities,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, which was part of the talks with the Jamaat-e-Islami, came out in support of the latter on Friday. The general secretary of the Kerala unit of the Jamiat, Aliyar Khasimi, said the organisation did not betray the community by taking part in the discussion.
“The organisations involved are all known nationally. All the discussions are taking place behind closed doors,” he said. Aliyar Khasimi said earlier discussions had been held with the BJP, the political face of the RSS. “In the discussion with the RSS the issues faced by Muslims in India were raised. The RSS also raised some issues,” he added.