MALAPPURAM: An article published in Jamaat-e-Islami’s weekly magazine ‘Prabodhanam’ criticising the Samastha Kerala Jemi-iyyathul Ulama and its president, Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, has sparked a row.
The article ‘When Political Ambition is Growing in Samastha Again’ -- written by K T Hussain -- asserts that a CPM faction has emerged within Samastha after Jifri Muthukoya Thangal became the organisation’s president. It claims that this particular faction is leading the community towards disintegration.
“Instead of strengthening the IUML, a faction of Samastha is gravitating towards the CPM. Samastha has reaped numerous benefits from its alliance with the IUML. The current policy shift within Samastha appears to be driven by the personal agendas of certain leaders,” the article said.
Some Samastha leaders have already expressed dismay at Jamaat-e-Islami for criticising Jifri Muthukoya Thangal. They assert that Jamaat-e-Islami is trying to exploit the conflict between Samastha and the IUML.LDF leader K T Jaleel said the claim made in the Jamaat-e-Islami mouthpiece about the formation of a communist faction within Samastha after Jifri Thangal became president is a deliberate tactic by Jamaat-e-Islami to undermine Samastha.
“Prabodhanam should first clarify why Jamaat-e-Islami extended support to the LDF before the Welfare Party of India (WPI) was formed. Was this due to the existence of a communist faction within Jamaat-e-Islami at the time? Jamaat-e-Islami adopted strong anti-communist sentiments only after failing to join the LDF. Their current criticism of Jifri Muthukoya Thangal seems to be aimed at aligning with the UDF under the prevailing circumstances,” Jaleel said in a social media post.