By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan refused to apologize for or withdraw the controversial statement he made in New Delhi last day. He said that his statement about the Popular Front was explained as against the Muslim community and that such news was made intentionally to spread misunderstandings. He was replying to the submission by K Babu in the state Assembly yesterday.
The CM said that he was only warning people regarding the information he had received about the PFI. He spoke based on only those information received about the campaigns and classes organized by the NDF, PFI and SDPI. They do not represent the Muslim community not are they the community’s spokesmen. Their aim is an alternative to the Hindu nation propaganda of the Hindutva terrorist groups like the RSS and Bajrang Dal. The criticism on the PFI was misused for communal motives. Leaflets fomenting communal hatred were collected when raiding the offices of the organizations, he said. He also mentioned that certain leaflets were against democracy.
The Chief Minister who has insulted the Muslim community should withdraw his controversial statement and apologize, demanded Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy. He said that the CM’s statement was aimed at political motives and hurting a particular community. The PFI has done a serious crime and measures should be taken against them. The statement made in Delhi was as if the PFI was representing the Muslim community. Majority of Muslims are against it, he added participating in the discussion in the Assembly.
The anti-Muslim statement of the CM is to encourage communalism of the majority community, accused Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. The LDF had made alliance with communal organizations like the Jamat e Islami, PDP and the NDF in the last elections, but is now talking against them eyeing on the votes of the majority community. The CM who should keep communal harmony is talking in a way as to foment communal hatred. He should take action against the PFI if there is evidence instead of talking against the Muslim community, he added.
The CM is trying to provide more people to the communal organisation which the community has rejected, said E Ahmed, Muslim League national president and Minister of State for Railways. The PFI is a burden for the Muslim community. Both Sunni groups, Mujahid groups and the Jamat e Islami have rejected the PFI and its activities. The Kerala Muslims rejected the PFI not because of any call of the CM. The Muslim community of Kerala is an example for other states. Kerala is an example for the country in the matter of communal harmony. The Muslim League has played a very important role in this. The CPI (M) brought up all terrorist groups to destroy this Muslim League. The CPI (M) had not worked like this anywhere in the country to defeat the BJP, he added.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) state general secretary Pinarayi Vijayan opined that attributing religion to them will be like protecting the terrorists. He accused the central government of putting the whole blame of terrorism on Muslims. Majority Muslims of Kerala are secular. Muslims isolate the Jamat e Islami because they are not like others. That is why the members opposed when the League held talks with them. The Muslim League is helping the attacks of the PFI. That is why saying about the PFI will burn the Muslim League and the UDF. The CM said what in Delhi what all information he came to know about the PFI. How it will affect the whole Muslim community, he asked at a function in Kozhikode.
PFI challenges Chief Minister
The Chief Minister is trying to spread misunderstanding, said the PFI. PFI general secretary P Abdul Hameed made it clear in a press release that the document that the CM presented in the Assembly saying it was got during the raid in PFI office was not a document of the organisation. The PFI has no ideology or policy-programme that is anti-democratic or pertaining to theological state. The organisation does not think that it could form an Islamic state by eliminating the majority Hindus in the country. He challenged the CM to prove that the document quoted against the PFI was taken from any leaflet, publication or speech of any leaders. The justification of the statement by CPI (M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan shows that the statement is the official policy of the party, he added.
The move of Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan to insult the Muslim community accusing religious conversion making PFI as a shade is a challenge against secularism, opined Kerala Dalit Front state president P Ramabhadran.
The Chief Minister had said last day in New Delhi that the PFI was making deliberate efforts to make Kerala a Muslim-majority state in 20 years. He had added that young men were attracted to Islam by offering money and increasing population through marriage was advocated.