KALPETTA: The intervention of religion in politics is called communalism, said CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. He was addressing the ‘Janahitham’ programme organised by the Wayanad Press Club here on Monday.
“It is a general perception that religion should not interfere in party politics. However, some priests and the UDF are trying to redefine the widely accepted perception, saying that religion can intervene in politics. It is not the opinion of the entire Church,” he said, adding that the priests who express such opinions may have had political leanings before they were ordained into priesthood.
“It was the failure of the UDF in the Thiruvambadi by-election, irrespective of the communal campaign, that made some UDF leaders think about a new strategy using priests,” he alleged. “At one point, they opined that all Christians should quit the CPM.”
“The UDF is in tie-up with all the communal and fundamentalist forces to defeat the LDF in the local polls. But it has turned out to be a curse for the UDF itself, which is now a weaker entity than it was in 2005,” Pinarayi added. He also said that Jama’at-e-Islami had no faith in democracy. “The organisation is trying hard to prove that they have faith in democracy. That is why they are contesting in a few seats here and there,” he added. “The SDPI is a part of the IUML and hence, a part of the UDF,” he further alleged.
CPM district secretary C K Saseendran was present at the programme. Press Club president V G Vijayan presided. Ramesh Ezhuthachan welcomed the gathering while V Muhammedali proposed a vote of thanks.
