CPI(M), Congress trade barbs over Jamaat-e-Islami backing UDF in Nilambur bypolls
The controversy in the June 19 bypoll campaign stemmed after the Welfare Party of India (WPI), the political arm of JeI, announced its support for the UDF in the bypoll last week
As the campaign for the by-election in the Nilambur assembly constituency in Kerala enters the last lap, the two principal political fronts LDF and UDF continued to clash with each other over maintaining friendship with fringe outfits like the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).
The controversy in the June 19 bypoll campaign stemmed after the Welfare Party of India (WPI), the political arm of JeI, announced its support for the UDF in the bypoll last week. Since 2019, the WPI has backed the UDF in most elections.
Following the WPI’s move, the CPI(M) has targeted the Congress-led UDF relentlessly for maintaining close links with “extremist” outfits like JeI and accepting their support during election campaigns.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan asked the Congress national leadership to clarify if it has the same stance as the state leadership about an outfit like the JeI.
“For the first time in India, a Congress leader publicly said the current form of JeI was unlike its past and that the outfit has changed. Priyanka Gandhi is here to campaign in Nilambur. I want her to clarify if the national leadership also feels the same way about JeI. What’s the Congress national leadership’s stand on tying up with communal outfits like the JeI,” said Govindan.
He said the Congress would make JeI an associate partner of the UDF to garner a “few votes” in Nilambur and in the upcoming local body and assembly elections.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan hit back stating that CM Pinarayi Vijayan was the first to welcome Jamaat-e-Islami leaders.
“He even said once that there was no need for anyone to cover their heads while meeting JeI leaders, indicating it was not wrong to meet them. But now, the CM has forgotten all that. He has changed his colours. The CPM’s target is clear. It wants to divert the public attention away from the failures of the state government during the bypoll campaign,” he said. The Nilambur bypoll is scheduled on June 19 and the votes will be counted on June 23.
