THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the CPM and the BJP have openly demanded for protection of Hindu minorities and their places of worship in Bangladesh, the Congress leadership has yet to come out with a clear position on the issue.
While Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has not responded on the issue so far, the statement by party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh does not even mention the word 'Hindu'. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi issued a statement condemning attacks on Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.
The confusion at the national level is evident in Kerala and the UDF too. The UDF won 18 seats in the last LS poll with the support of Muslim organisations. There is a strong sentiment among UDF partners that leadership's silence would cost politically.
"For us, in Kerala as of now there's pan-Islam influence. However that's over now", a senior UDF leader told TNIE.
"We now go through pan-Hindu politics where the state apparatus is controlled by the Hindu nationalist party. Its web is unimaginable. Hence for us Hindus in Bangladesh, Tamils of Hindu origin in Sri Lanka and even people in Nepal matter. Post 2104, the political geography has been re-drawn", he said.
"If the Congress cannot openly stand for the rights of Bangladesh Hindus, how can they stand up for Muslim minority rights in India?", he asked.
Political commentators say Congress' silence could be due to its over-dependency on radical Muslim organisations. "The KPCC president and Leader of the Opposition should have issued a statement about persecution of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh", Hameed Chennamangaloor told TNIE.
"The Congress might not want to alienate organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami or SDPI. They played an important role in the last two LS polls to consolidate Muslim votes for UDF. If Congress does not correct its position, it will face set back in future. Ordinary people in the Hindu community might take this silence as minority appeasement," he said.
Within the UDF, except the CMP no other party openly shared the sentiments of the Hindu majority. The front is already feeling the heat as senior leader NK Premachandran has been facing stiff protests from Sangh Parivar organisations for his alleged statement against PM Modi. In a TV interview, Premachandran said it was better for the PM to avoid the name 'Hindus' from his statement related to the Bangladesh issue.
Premachandran also said all minorities are equal and all minorities should be protected. The Bharatiya Yuva Morch and Hindu Aikya Vedi had organised protest marches and declared that they would block his vehicle.
Though Premachandran rejected the charges saying that his words were twisted, the BJP has intensified the protest and convened a seminar on August 16.
"UDF leaders Like NK Premachandran made statements against the PM for calling for the protection of Hindus in Bangladesh", ex-union minister V Muralidharan said.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders responded cautiously. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala said, "Our stand is to protect minorities in all countries. In Bangladesh too, the minorities should be protected", he told TNIE.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheeshan told TNIE that it is the responsibility of the central government to protect minorities in Bangladesh. "It is the central government which should pressurize the interim government to take action. Congress has taken an aggressive stand. Priyanka Gandhi has also issued a statement", he said.
Even though the Muslim League is yet to respond, party general secretary PMA Salam said minorities in all countries should be protected. "We don't know about the truth of the news coming out of Bangladesh," he told TNIE.
