KOZHIKODE: The proposal to convene an all-party meeting to ease the communal tension in Vadakara has not gone down well among the rank and file of the IUML, who believe that the suggestion is only a ploy from the CPM to escape from the allegation of fanning communal feeling for political gains.
Though the IUML leadership has welcomed the suggestion, the party cadres are unrelenting on the demand that the culprits behind the controversial ‘Kafir post’ should be booked before thinking of any other measures. The CPM allegation was that an MSF local leader had sent a message asking the believers not to vote for LDF candidate K K Shailaja, who is a Kafir.
The IUML has approached the police saying that its cadres have no role in the incident and raised a counter allegation that the post might be a creation of the CPM circles. Though police have registered a case, no significant breakthrough has been made thus far. UDF had organised a protest march in Vadakara against the police apathy in the investigation.
The proposal for the all-party meeting emanated from CPM district secretary P Mohanan, which was welcomed by IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty and later by party president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal. Speaking to reporters in Malappuram on Tuesday, Thangal said an all-party meeting should be convened to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in Vadakara and Nadapuram areas. Regardless of the election outcome, maintaining peace must remain a top priority. Both the district administration and the state government must address the situation with utmost seriousness, he said.
But sources in the IUML said the priority should be to find out who created the controversial post that ignited the communal campaign. “There is an attempt from the CPM to isolate the Congress and put all the blame on the party. If we attend the all-party meeting now, the CPM may tell that all issues have been settled. Later, they may even argue that we were ready for a compromise because our cadres were behind the post,” an IUML leader told TNIE.
The uneasiness among the IUML cadres was expressed in the Facebook post of MSF leader C K Najaf in which he ridiculed the CPM’s attempt to hide behind the ‘all-party wall.’ “The culprits will be brought to light simply by interrogating the admins of the Facebook page Ambadimukku Sakhakkal, Kannur,” he said.
CPM attempt ridiculed
The uneasiness among the IUML cadres was expressed in the Facebook post of MSF leader C K Najaf in which he ridiculed the CPM’s attempt to hide behind the ‘all-party wall.’