CPM\'s invite to Muslim League creates fissures in the Congress led front in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling CPM’s invitation to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to attend its Palestine solidarity meet next week has created fissures in the Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala.
The Congress is wary of the CPM's invitation and has cautioned the Muslim League, which is the second largest constituent of the UDF, against attending the event. Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran reminded the League of the UDF's decision to keep off political events organised by the CPM on common issues. The Congress leadership has also pointed out that there were no joint campaigns even on issues like CAA and Manipur, on which both the LDF and UDF had an identical stand.
The CPM is organising a big rally at Sarovaram Trade Centre in Kozhikode on November 11 to express solidarity with the people of Palestine. The party leadership has formally invited the Muslim League to the event which will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Meanwhile, the Muslim League has expressed displeasure over PCC president Sudhakaran's warning against attending the CPM Palestine solidarity meet. League state general secretary P M A Salam said that the CPM is not conducting a political programme, but highlighting an international human rights issue, and the matter need not be discussed and decided in the UDF forum. He further added that the League leadership would meet in Kozhikode on Saturday to take a call on the solidarity meet.
When asked about senior Muslim League leader and Lok Sabha MP E.T. Mohammad Basheer's statement that the League will cooperate with the CPM meet, Salam said that Basheer's views are personal and differences, if any, within the party would be sorted out at the meeting on Saturday.
Eminent personalities and organisations from the political, religious, social and cultural fields have been invited to the rally. The majority of Muslim organisations, including Samastha, were invited to the event.
The CPM leadership which kept the Congress aside, invited the Muslim League to the rally. The CPM was not keen to invite the Congress to participate in the rally because of the controversial speech made by Shashi Tharoor at a Palestine solidarity rally organised by the Muslim League at Kozhikode beach recently.
Without naming Hamas, Tharoor had slammed the militant organisation holding it responsible for the October 7 terror attack which killed many people in Israel. A section of Muslim organisations slammed Tharoor’s anti-Hamas remarks and some even branded him as pro-Israel.
Tharoor, however, refuted the charge stating that a few seconds from his nearly 30-minute speech were selectively taken out to brand him as pro-Israeli. “I have always stood for the people of Palestine,” he said.
Congress MP K Muraleedharan alleged that the CPM’s invitation to Muslim League was with the ulterior objective of weakening the UDF. Muslim League will never accept the invite and participate in the event, he said.
He said it was the Congress Working Committee (CWC)that first extended its unconditional support to the Palestinian people by passing the resolution. The CPM has only joined now in support of Palestine and even while doing so it is trying to create a dispute in the UDF.
