THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan seems to have opened a Pandora’s box with his attempt to “whitewash” the Jamaat-e-Islami, after its political arm Welfare Party of India extended support to the Congress candidiate in Nilambur.
Not only key UDF partners IUML and Kerala Congress (KC) but even the Congress national leadership is learnt to be wary of the development.
The KC, already under the scanner of forces like CASA over its alleged soft stand on Munambam, was vehement in its opposition. “Satheesan should have been more careful... Open endorsement of the Welfare Party and Jamaat-e-Islami would harm the prospects of the UDF and our party in central Kerala,” a senior KC leader told TNIE on condition of anonymity.
The IUML was more cautious in its response. Senior leader P K Kunhalikutty said the party still has political and ideological differences with the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Seeking to downplay the electoral bond between the UDF and the Welfare Party, he claimed it was the latter that is supporting the former and it has its own reasons to do so. After the Nilambur by-election, the party will discuss whether Jamaat-e-Islami has abandoned its extremist positions as Satheesan has claimed, he added.
The League leadership has always been wary of Jamaat e Islami’s attempts to rise as representative of the Muslim community. In 2005 League published an editorial against Jamaat e Islami through its mouth organ ‘Chandrika’.
In 2010 after the hand chopping incident of Professor TJ Joseph by banned Muslim group Popular Front of India (PFI), the League had organized a conference at Kottakkal against religious extremism. However, the League had excluded PFI and Jamaat e Islami from the function.
The Congress central leadership is worried about the impact of the controversy at the national level, especially with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi MP, scheduled to campaign in Nilambur, which is part of the Wayanad parliament constituency she represents in the Lok Sabha.
During the 2019 parliament election BJP took up the issue of League flag in the road show of Rahul Gandhi at national level thereby causing the defeat of him at Amethi constituency. In addition to this, the affidavit submitted by the Oommen Chandy government in 2014 in Kerala High Court has also come as a setback for the Congress.
In the affidavit submitted by the then Home department undersecretary Mary Joseph, the government had said that Jamaat e Islami encourages its workers to think about national interest and the government is monitoring the activities of the organization.
It also said that the constitution of Jamaat e Islami neglects the Constitution of India. The government action came after a report was published in the Madhyamam Weekly that state special branch had snooped on the email of 268 citizens.
Adding to the woes of the Congress, many Muslim organisations have come out openly against Jamaat-e-Islami. Umar Faizi Mukkam, the Mushavara member of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulma, alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami not only harbours extremist nature, but also has an “anti-Muslim ideology.”
Samastha leader Abdul Samad Pookkottur said political parties must avoid shaking hands with extremist outfits. Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen president T P Abdulla Koya Madani termed Jamaat-e-Islami as an organisation which has been politicising religion.
The Catholic Congress termed the development an "open challenge to Kerala's secular democratic traditions" and an example of "opportunistic politics”.
In a statement, it alleged that the “Congress has compromised on its core secular values by aligning with a party that is ideologically linked to religious fundamentalism.” The KCBC is also watching the developments keenly. The NSS and the SNDP too are upset with the development and have conveyed their opposition to the UDF leadership.