THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an attempt to further deepen the fissures within the UDF, the CPM on Friday made public overtures to the IUML and reminded the League that it had once aligned with the Left front. The League, on its part, was cautious in its response and said it had not so far given a thought about switching sides.
The CPM, which had once potrayed IUML as communal, did a volte-face with its state secretary M V Govindan categorically stating that his party did not consider League a communal party. “League is a democratic party working for the minorities. CPM has criticised it whenever it joined hands with communal parties like SDPI,” he told reporters after the party state secretariat meeting.
“In a democracy there are no permanent friends and foes,” Govindan said, and pointed out that the CPM, under the leadership of E M S Namboothiripad, had aligned with the League to form a government in 1967. When asked about the League’s support to the University Bills that the LDF government moved in the assembly, Govindan said the CPM and its government welcome whoever support it.
“However it won’t be enough. The CPM will consider their response to concrete political developments, and then take an appropriate approach. The CPM will join hands with any democratic, secular party to fight communalism,” he said. The CPM’s signals to the IUML, the second largest ally in the UDF, comes at a time when all is not well with the Legaue’s ties with the Congress.
The CPM state secretariat wanted the party to take advantage of the simmerings within the UDF, and further exploit the political situation in the party’s favour. “League’s unhappiness with the Congress over the way in which it handled the entire Tharoor episode and the unrelenting stand against the governor has opened a space,” said a secretariat member on condition of anonymity.
CPM has realised it cannot ignore Muslim League, says K P A Majeed
“The CPM is of the view that with state Congress president’s pro-RSS stand and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan’s soft stand against the BJP, the League would find it difficult to remain in the UDF,” he said. CPM’s teaser came as the election for the parliament is fast approaching. Meanwhile, senior IUML leader K P A Majeed said the League has not given a thought about joining hands with the CPM.
“League will take its stand on each issue on the basis of merit. The CPM has now realised that it cannot ignore the League. We are against the governor in the university bills,” he told TNIE. IUML general secretary P M A Salam thanked the CPM leader for his good words. “We don’t know what’s the reason for the CPM to revise its approach. However, we are with the UDF till now,” he said. Earlier, A Vijayaraghavan, when he was in charge of the CPM state secretary, had unleashed major political attacks on the League.
Varsity Bill: Cong surrendered before League, says K Surendran
Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP state leadership has come out against Congress extending support to the LDF government in bringing out the University Bill in the assembly. Party state president K Surendran termed the Congress decision a U-turn in fear of the Muslim League. “The Congress was against the Bill earlier. But it got scared of the League leadership. Though the Congress is aware that the LDF move to replace the governor as chancellor of universities is aimed at corruption and nepotism, it supported the Bill. This proves that that it is the League which is controlling the UDF,” he said.