In what can be called as a case of the pot calling the kettle black, senior Muslim League leader and the party’s national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of having no idea of secularism.
Kunhalikutty’s advice to the BJP was that if the party wants to be relevant in Kerala state politics, it should practise secularism. He told the BJP to be ‘more inclusive’ like the Congress party.
This statement comes days after senior Kerala BJP leader Sobha Surendran invited the Muslim league to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition headed by the BJP, on the condition that it embrace nationalism and approve of PM Modi’s policies. At a public event held at Chelakkara in Thrissur as part of a ‘Vijaya Yatra’, Sobha reiterated her stance on the Muslim League. She said that the League could be welcomed to the NDA fold if it sheds its communal nature, embraces nationalism and approves the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She underscored that the BJP is a political organisation that takes all groups along with it.
P K Kunhalikutty also claimed that his party is one of the most secular parties in India. However, the Muslim League as a party only allows Muslims to become MLAs and MPs, and people of other faiths are not allowed to contest elections with their party ticket.
The Muslim League has close connections with fundamentalist Islamic groups in Kerala as well. It was involved in the 2003 Marad massacre of Hindus. Eight Hindus were killed by a Muslim mob on 2 May 2003 and a probe into the incident had concluded that the Indian Union Muslim League was directly involved in the massacre. The League used its political influence and its close proximity to the power centres of Kerala, ensuring that the Islamic party did not come under any investigation.
Recently, Kunhalikutty had resigned from the Lok Sabha to contest the assembly election in Kerala. Before leaving the Lok Sabha, he had proclaimed that he would oppose PM Modi tooth and nail. He is expected to get a ministerial berth if the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance wins the Kerala elections. As per reports, the Muslim League is jockeying for the position of Deputy CM as it is the second-largest party in the UDF alliance.
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