By TCN News,
Kozhikode: The removal of the party’s lone MLA PMA Salam from the state general secretary post is again dragging the Indian National League to controversy in Kerala. Mr Salam was removed from the post by the national president Prof Muhammed Sulaiman. However, Salam has reportedly questioned the action, accusing it as against the constitution of the party. Meanwhile, media also reported that national general secretary Siraj Ibrahim Sait did not approve of the action as it was against the norms of the party.
Party state president SA Puthiyavalappil announced the action against Mr Salam at a press conference held in Kozhikode yesterday. The action was taken as Mr Salam repeatedly spoke of a possible merger of the party with the Muslim League, which was not in the party’s agenda, and for maligning the party and president, he reportedly said.
Mr Puthiyavalappil informed in the press conference that the decision was taken by the party’s national president Prof Muhammed Sulaiman on the complaint of the state president. The state president will temporarily handle the duties of the general secretary. More actions against Mr Salam will be taken in the state council meeting, the date of which will be decided in the national executive meeting to be held later this month in Kolkata. He added that while the INL decided to co-operate with the UDF in the last local body elections, Salam co-operated with the Muslim League. National secretary Ahmed Devarkovil also was present at the press conference.
Meanwhile, PMA Salam reportedly said that the action of the president removing him from the general secretary post was against the constitution of the party. The president can take such an action (without consulting with the party) only when the party meetings are not being held. Hence the action is invalid as the party’s national executive meeting has been decided to be held on later this month.
In another development, INL national general secretary Siraj Ibrahim Sait is reported to have said that the removal of Mr Salam from the general secretary post was not according to the decision of the party. Only the state council can remove a state office-bearer of the party. The decision of the state council should then be approved by the national executive. The national president can remove an office-bearer under emergency situations, but since the national executive meeting has already been fixed to be held later in January, he cannot take such a decision now. He reportedly added that the matter would be discussed in the national executive meeting.
Mr PMA Salam is the lone MLA of the INL in the Kerala Assembly. He was reportedly in the forefront to get things done for the co-operation of the party with the UDF in the recently-held local body elections. Though the party supported and co-operated with the UDF, there have been murmurs that it was not given much consideration and the deserving number of seats in the elections. A section of the party under the president reportedly favoured leaving the UDF camp, especially since the UDF made it clear that it had no plans to take in new parties into the alliance. However, a section led by Mr Salam preferred to continue co-operation with the UDF and especially INL’s mother-organisation Muslim League. There have also been talks of a possible merger of the INL with the Muslim League, which the group led by Mr Puthiyavalappil strongly opposes.
Difference of opinion has already split the party once during the controversy regarding the INL’s leaving the LDF camp and co-operating with the UDF in the recently-held local body elections. A section of the party preferred to continue with the LDF, as against the official decision, and left the party to form INL Secular. The new party was given much consideration by the LDF camp, which was reportedly much more than what the official INL received at the UDF camp.