By TCN News,
Kozhikode: Amid the problems unleashed by the new revelations in the ice-cream parlor sex scandal case, the Kerala state working committee of the Muslim League meets tomorrow in Kozhikode. Meanwhile, Dr Sebastian Paul, columnist and former independent MP supported by the CPI (M), has been appointed the Chief Editor of the Indiavision news channel which had broadcast investigative reports in the ice-cream case against Muslim League general secretary PK Kunhalikkutty.
National president and central minister E Ahmed will attend the meeting which will be chaired by state president Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal in the League House tomorrow morning. The meeting will reportedly discuss how the party should tackle the ice-cream revelations in the coming Assembly elections. Details of the Assembly elections such as candidature etc may also be discussed, especially since other parties in the UDF like the Kerala Congress (Mani group) have already begun bargaining for seats.
The working committee is meeting at a time when the party is facing serious problems including the ice-cream case against general secretary PK Kunhalikkutty, vigilance case against party state secretary Dr MK Muneer and Dr Muneer continuing as the chairman of Indiavision which broadcast news against Mr Kunhalikkutty, etc. All these problems are serious impediments for the party which, as the second largest party in the UDF, could have bargained for the deputy CM post in the next UDF government in the state. Meanwhile, the Kerala Congress (M) is reportedly trying to influence the national leaders of the Indian National Congress to get more seats in the Assembly election and important portfolios in the next UDF ministry. Weakness of the Muslim League would affect the UDF as a whole, but it would also be helpful to Kerala Congress (M) to be the number two in the front.
The Muslim League state committee had met earlier when the new revelations in the ice-cream case were broadcast by the Indiavision channel, of which Dr MK Muneer is the chairman. There was heavy criticism against Dr Muneer and the channel by the League members and leadership. They demanded that Muneer should step down as either the Muslim League secretary or the Indiavision chairman. While the Muslim League members expected him to leave Indiavision, Mr Muneer visited party president Hyderali Shihab Thangal at his Kodappanakkal residence and offered to resign his post in the party. However, the party refused to accept his resignation. Mr Kunhalikkutty reportedly said in an interview with another news channel that forces in the party were trying to malign him to get power. Later, he had to withdraw his words, said to be aimed at Muneer. The public war of words ended to an extent after a special meeting between Kunhalikkutty, Muneer, E Ahmed and Hyderali Shihab Thangal. It was also agreed that the channel would not broadcast any other news against Kunhalikkutty regarding the ice-cream case, according to reports. The channel then handed over the documents in its custody regarding the case to the Chief Minister. But the channel later broadcast news about another sex scandal in which also Mr Kunhalikkutty is reportedly involved.
In another development, the Director Board of the Indiavision channel has decided that Dr MK Muneer should continue as the chairman of the channel. Resident Director Jamaludheen Farooqi also will continue in the post. Muneer reportedly said in the meeting of the channel’s staff that the editorial board would be given complete freedom as before. Dr Sebastian Paul, leftist co-traveller, former independent Parliamentarian supported by the CPI (M) and noted columnist, has been appointed the Chief Editor of the channel. This new development also is supposed to be an important topic at the Muslim League working committee meeting tomorrow.
These relatively new problems that have come up just three months prior to the Assembly elections, which would otherwise have been a clean sweep for the UDF due to the anti-incumbency factor, are reported to create fears in the front. In addition, there are problems within the Congress party with the Youth Congress arguing for more representation for the youth. Kerala Congress (B) leader R Balakrishna Pilla was last day jailed in connection with the Idamalayar scam in which the Supreme Court ruled against him. Though the Kerala society is used to vote against an existing government every five years, the new problems that have come up are sure to affect the number of seats the fronts had been expecting.