A statement by Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shaikh Muhammed Karakunnu defending the concept of an Islamic Republic has triggered a political controversy in Kerala, drawing criticism amid an ongoing debate over secularism and electoral alliances.

In a Facebook post titled “Would true believers reject Islamic Republic?”, published on 17 January 2026, Karakunnu stated that the Prophet Muhammad was the founder of the Islamic Republic and that its capital was Medina. He said the state was established without the shedding of blood and that the people of the land welcomed the Prophet and accepted him as their ruler, naming the city Madinatun Nabi (City of the Prophet). He described it as an ideal-based, humanitarian and pluralistic polity, claiming that Muslims constituted only about 15 per cent of the population at the time.

Karakunnu further stated that during the rule of Umarul Farook, whom he described as the ruler of that historically unparalleled republic, the Muslim population was less than four per cent. He urged critics of the concept of an Islamic Republic to study it carefully, adding that no true believer who loved the Prophet Muhammad could reject it.

The controversy has also revived debate over political alliances following the 2025 Nilambur Assembly by-poll, in which the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Welfare Party of India publicly announced its support for the Congress-led United Democratic Front candidate. Leaders of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee had stated that the UDF would accept “all support” to defeat the Left Democratic Front, a position that sparked criticism over the coalition’s secular credentials.

Critics alleged that the Indian National Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and V D Satheesan, was fully aware of Jamaat-e-Islami’s ideological positions but continued to engage with the organisation for electoral support.

It is noteworthy that VD Satheesan had once defended its engagement with Jamaat-e-Islami. VD Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, had previously taken a firm stand in support of accepting Jamaat-backed political support. Satheesan had publicly stated that Jamaat-e-Islami no longer advocated the establishment of a theocratic state and had undergone a shift in its ideological position.

He had said, “They are not raising the demand for a theocratic state anymore. They have made significant changes to their stance. Their support is now purely political. That support is for the Congress; it is for the UDF.”

A Jamaat-e-Islami leader openly calls for an Islamic Republic. They reject Indian democracy. They reject our Constitution.

Yet in Keralam, @RahulGandhi’s Congress is partnering with Jamaat for votes, while lying about constitutional values.

Make no mistake.

Rahul,… pic.twitter.com/CbwR8bS0n1

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@RajeevRC_X) January 21, 2026

Opponents further argued that mainstreaming Jamaat-e-Islami risked legitimising ideologies that could threaten Kerala’s social and cultural fabric. It is noteworthy that in Bangladesh, Jamaat-backed politics has undermined democratic institutions and has contributed to violence against minorities.

Source: Times of India

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The post Jamaat-e-Islami Leader In Kerala Calls For Islamic Republic, Congress Leader Says Jamaat’s Support Is Purely Political appeared first on The Commune.