MALAPPURAM: Congress leader Oommen Chandy has slammed CPM state secretary in charge A Vijayaraghavan for stating that Congress leaders are visiting the house of IUML patron Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal to broaden their alliance with fundamentalist religious parties.
The former chief minister, after inaugurating the Congress block office at Tirur on Sunday, said Vijayaraghavan has been playing communal card for petty political gains. He also termed his criticism as ‘sour grapes’.
“Vijayaraghavan was disappointed as he couldn’t visit Panakkad house. I’ll visit Panakkad house again. CPM leaders dilute their stands easily as per the circumstances for political gains. They were not reluctant to welcome the party of K M Mani whom they had accused of being corrupt. UDF still sticks to the stand that Mani was not a corrupt leader. UDF will face the upcoming assembly elections unitedly,” Chandy said.
Other Congress leaders including Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala had also flayed Vijayaraghavan ’s statements. Chennithala said CPM has been trying to create communal divisions in the state. Political analysts say CPM is adopting the same tactics of BJP to create communal polarisation in the state.
“Congress leaders visiting the IUML supremo’s house is usual. IUML leaders play an important role in resolving internal issues in UDF. By projecting the visits as attempts to seal tie-ups with communal parties, CPM tries to evoke anti-Muslim emotions and consolidate Christian votes. This is a dangerous move and will only help BJP in the long run,” said political analyst C R Neelakandan.
He said CPM’s plan to gain votes through the communal campaign might backfire in the elections. “The UDF under the leadership of Chandy will attack the communal agenda. Its top brass has already launched it. This anti-Muslim stand taken by CPM might help UDF to increase its Muslim vote share. Also, Christian votes are unlikely to consolidate in CPM’s favour. A secular party like CPM should step back from communal campaigns understanding these facts,” he said.
CPM Malappuram district secretary E N Mohandas said Vijayaraghavan’s statements were misinterpreted by UDF. “CPM has always taken a firm stand to protect the rights of minorities in the country. The party state secretary’s criticism was against the association of UDF with Jamaat-e-Islami. The IUML is trying to escape criticism by projecting these statements as attacks on Muslim community,” he said.
IUML has not sought more seats: Chennithala
Kasaragod: IUML has not sought more seats in the assembly elections, Ramesh Chennithala said on Sunday. He was in Kasaragod to lead the Aishwarya Kerala Yatra. On Oommen Chandy contesting from Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennithala said it was only a suggestion. The Nemom assembly segment is represented by BJP’s O Rajagopal and is considered as a stronghold of the saffron party. Chandy has rubbished the idea and said he was wedded to Puthuppally, a constituency he represented for 50 years. IUML contested in 24 seats and won 19 in 2016. After the exit of LJD and KC(M)’s Jose K Mani faction from UDF, around 14 seats would be up for grabs. IUML sources said the party is eyeing up to 30 seats this time. Chennithala said there would not be any disagreement over seat-sharing in UDF. The allies would sit together and decide on seats, he said. On the chief ministerial candidate, he said the party’s high command would decide after the election. Chennithala said there would be a UDF wave in the assembly election. He said he was taking out the yatra to expose the LDF government’s alleged ‘corruption and criminality’ and seek sustainable solutions to joblessness and a shrinking economy.
CPM grooming BJP as alternative to UDF: Premachandran
Kasaragod: “CPM is grooming BJP into a ‘relevant’ political party with the vile agenda of scaring and cornering 46% of religious minority votes in the state,” said Revolutionary Socialist Party leader and MP N K Premachandran. He said CPM and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were consistently whipping up anti-Muslim sentiments among Hindus by making statements like Congress was being controlled by IUML. He was speaking at the launch of Aishwarya Kerala Yatra at Kumbla. “CPM’s strategy is to drive UDF’s Hindu voters to BJP’s fold,” he said. “By saying that Congress and UDF have become irrelevant in Kerala, I think what the CM meant is that BJP has become relevant,” he said. This is CPM implementing BJP’s politics, he said. However, CPM should remember that BJP was the main party in several northeastern states, where Christians were in majority, he said. “Those rooting for another term for Pinarayi should keep in mind the first and second terms of the Modi government. While he spoke about development and welfare in the first, the second saw Jammu and Kashmir losing its statehood and special status, the Citizenship Act being amended, the farm laws being rammed through and the PM becoming the prime tantri,” he said.