Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian United Muslim League (IUML) has launched a scathing attack on the ruling CPI(M) alleging that the party’s “anti-Muslim campaign” during the Lok Sabha elections helped the BJP expand its influence in Kerala by winning the Thrissur seat.
The IUML, a key partner of the opposition Congress Party-led UDF, termed the Marxist party’s campaign that without the Left, Muslims would become second-class citizens in the country “pure joke”.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) often opts for a “double-edged sword” in its marketing and “what the Left parties sow, the Bharatiya Janata Party reaps,” IUML senior leader Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal alleged in an interview to the party’s newspaper Chandrika on Saturday.
He urged everyone, including the Left parties, to introspect on the reasons that contributed to the saffron party’s victory and the party’s increased vote share in Thrissur.
“There are many reasons for this but one is clear. The anti-Muslim campaign undertaken by the CPI(M) is also helping the BJP. The BJP will reap what the CPI(M) sows,” he said.
Thangar further said that if one looks at the areas where the IUML has influence, one will be convinced of the strength of the IUML in ideologically defending the Sangh Parivar.
In an interview, he pointed out that even when the BJP won in Thrissur constituency, the Indian National Congress and UDF candidates won majority seats in Guruvayoor parliamentary constituency, where the IUML has a strong influence.
In the April 26 LS elections, the IUML candidate won by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes in Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, which has a Muslim population of just 18 per cent, the leader added.
The IUML won three seats in Kerala – Malappuram and Ponnani – and the Ramanathapuram seat in Tamil Nadu in the crucial LS elections.
Published June 15, 2024 10:18 IST
