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Kerala: Muslim league rejects CPM’s invite to participate in anti-UCC seminar
The decision will come as a relief for the Congress which had slammed the CPM’s invite to its ally and termed it as a move to “capture the Muslim votebank in the name of UCC in the general elections next year”
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a long-standing ally of the Congress in Kerala on Sunday, declined the invitation sent by the ruling- Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) to take part in a series of seminars planned against the Centre’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
The decision was taken at a meeting convened by IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal in Kozhikode attended by top leaders of the party.
“The CPM has invited only the Muslim League to the seminar. No other constituents of the UDF (United Democratic Front), including the Congress, have been invited. We are one of the main constituents of the UDF and we believe that the strongest opposition to the UCC in the country can be done by the Congress. On this issue, we cannot move forward without the Congress. In such a scenario, the Muslim League cannot participate in the seminars called by the CPM,” Thangal told reporters after the meeting.
The decision will come as a relief for the Congress which had slammed the CPM’s invite to its ally and termed it as a move to “capture the Muslim votebank in the name of UCC in the general elections next year”. Muslims comprise nearly 26% of the population in Kerala and wield influence to decide electoral outcomes, particularly in the Malabar region.
With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, the CPM is organising a national seminar in Kozhikode on 15 July against the Centre’s proposed move to implement the UCC.
“On the issue of UCC, everyone should join hands and come together. This is a national issue and affects all religious communities, not just Muslims. Such a law should not be passed in Parliament,” underlined Thangal, adding that Muslim outfits in the state are free to participate in any seminar called by any party to voice opposition to the UCC.
The CPM invite to IUML, seen as part of its moves to eventually bring the party into its fold, had triggered a debate within the Congress ally as several Muslim outfits, including the influential factions of the Samastha Kerala Jemiyyathul Ulama, have nodded yes to the CPM’s seminars. There were fears of erosion of its core vote bank ahead of elections next year. But the IUML’s stand to stick with the Congress has strengthened the hand of the grand old party.
The verbal duel between the ruling CPM and the opposition Congress over the UCC got heated on Thursday with each accusing the other of not having a clear stand on the issue.
Also Read: Uniform Civil Code against spirit of Constitution, says SGPC after executive meet
“The CPM has no right to hold seminars against the UCC. It must first denounce the stand taken by its late leader EMS Namboodiripad who had spoken in favour of UCC. Even if we are invited to the seminars, we will not go. Our stand is to oppose the UCC and we have made it clear in the parliamentary standing committee as well. There can be no joint protests with the CPM in Kerala against UCC,” Congress MP K Muraleedharan told reporters.
At the same time, CPM state secretary MV Govindan said the IUML’s rejection of its invite is not a setback.
“They are part of the UDF and they have decided on a political party. We have not invited the Congress because it has often adopted a soft Hindutva stand. Some of their own ministers in other states have supported the UCC,” said Govindan.
Both the Congress and IUML have declared that they will not take to the streets to protest against UCC. Instead, they will hold united and separate seminars and discussions against the controversial proposal in the weeks to come.
UCC refers to a common set of laws that are applicable to all citizens of India across religions which will deal with marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption among other matters.The implementation of UCC has been on Bharatiya Janata Party’s agenda for decades but got a renewed push after Prime Minister Modi recently made a strong pitch at a rally in Madhya Pradesh.
