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Kerala Muslim body’s mouthpiece questions Cong stand on attending Ram temple event
The editorial in Suprabhatham, mouthpiece of the EK faction of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (SAMASTHA), attacked the Congress for its alleged soft-Hindutva stance
Kochi: The mouthpiece of an influential Muslim Sunni body of clerics in Kerala has hit out at the Congress for its non-committal stance on whether it would attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
The editorial published in Suprabhatham, the mouthpiece of the EK faction of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (SAMASTHA), on Wednesday attacked the Congress for its alleged soft-Hindutva stance by pointing out actions of its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.
“The Congress stance seems to be that it wants to attend the Ram temple event to prevent the erosion of its Hindu vote base in north India especially with Lok Sabha elections approaching. It is this soft Hindutva stance that has taken the party which ruled India for 36 years down to its present condition. The Congress leadership may not know this but the people of India do,” the editorial said.
It pointed to Kamal Nath sending 11 silver bricks for the construction of the Ram temple as evidence of the Congress’ soft-Hindutva approach.
“The Sangh Parivar forces are experts at exploiting religion and belief to achieve political aims. But who is giving the Congress leadership the foolish advice of countering the Sangh Parivar with the same methods?” the editorial asked.
If the Congress does not rethink its stance on such issues, the BJP will come back to power at the Centre in the 2024 elections, the newspaper warned. “The party that led the freedom movement in the country will be reduced to trash in the pages of history books,” it said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress using its arch-rival CPM in Kerala, the Muslim body’s mouthpiece said that the Left party’s general secretary Sitaram Yechury had the wisdom to understand that the Ram temple event on January 22 is a litmus test to convert India into a Hindu nation. “India’s secular and democratic believers expect the same courage from Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi and others,” it said.
Meanwhile, IUML leader PMA Salam said that the party has not received the invitation to attend the event in Ayodhya.
“We have not got the invitation. Those who have been invited should answer what they plan to do. Then why should we clarify our stand? BJP’s policy is to exploit communal feelings and they are continuing to do that. We want to say that no one should fall into the agenda set by the BJP,” Salam said.
The strong words in the Samastha editorial for the Congress is likely to give the party jitters as the EP faction of the outfit has largely remained close to the IUML, the oldest ally of Congress in the state. With the CPM vociferously wooing Muslim outfits like Samastha, mistakes on the part of the Congress can tilt the balance in favour of the Left especially in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Muslims comprise nearly 26 percent of the state’s population and can influence electoral outcomes in districts like Malappuram, Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Wayanad.
