The factional fight in the Indian Union Muslim League came out in the open once again when the effigy of Union Minister of State for External Affairs and national president of the party, E Ahamed, was burnt by an irate group of League workers in front of the district committee office of the party here on Wednesday.
E Ahamed was burnt in effigy by the Muslim League workers towards the end of a march taken out by them to the district office of the party,holding the flag of the party and black flags. They were prevented from entering the office of the party by the police. The protesting group of Muslim League workers who held a dharna on the road were arrested and removed by the police later.
The march was in protest against the “unilateral decision of the Muslim League leadership to announce the names of district office-bearers of the party without holding elections’ according to the protesting group of Muslim League workers. They shouted slogans against Muslim League leaders E Ahamed and P K Kunhalikutty.
The protesting League workers were stopped from entering the district office by closing the main entrance, and this followed an altercation between the protesters and the police for some time. None of the senior leaders of the Muslim League reached the spot to meet the protesting League workers at the time.
The state president of the party had nominated V K Abdul Khader Moulavi and Abdurahiman Kallai as district president and general secretary, respectively, without holding the district general council meeting. The march and the burning of the effigy of E Ahamed were in protest against the nominations. The protest programme was organised by a strong group of Youth League workers who wanted V K Abdulkhader Moulavi, a close associate of E Ahamed, to step down as district president. Moulavi was not allowed to address the Azhikode mandalam convention of the Youth League held at Poithumkadavu a few weeks ago. A major section of the Youth League had come up with strong objection to the decision of the party to field K M Shaji as a candidate of the party from the Azhikode constituency in the last assembly polls.
The violent protest staged by the Youth League workers was said to be a sequel to the continuing factional feud in the district unit of the Muslim League here.
At the same time, Abdurahiman Kallai, the newly-nominated general secretary of the party, stated here that strong action would be taken against those responsible for holding the protest march and burning the effigy of party leader E Ahamed. Burning the effigy of leaders isn’t the political style of the Muslim League, he said. The nomination of the district office-bearers of the party was done by the state council, he clarified.
