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KT Jaleel’s remarks on Kashmir unacceptable: Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan
Jaleel, a former state minister, on Saturday made controversial remarks in a Facebook post while talking about his visit to Kashmir
Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Sunday slammed Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator KT Jaleel over his recent remarks on Kashmir, and called the statements “unfortunate and unacceptable”.
“It is very unfortunate. I wonder if these comments were made after going through some literature or after knowing something or just out of ignorance. I do not know,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram. “Do we not really realise the preciousness of freedom? How can we afford to say things like this?” Khan asked.
Jaleel, a former state minister, on Saturday made controversial remarks in a Facebook post while talking about his visit to Kashmir. In the post written in Malayalam, he said “the part of Kashmir annexed to Pakistan was known as ‘Azad Kashmir’ and it was an area where the Pakistan government does not have any control”.
“Indian adheena Jammu and Kashmir (India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir) consists of parts of Jammu, Kashmir valley and Ladakh,” he further said.
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Jaleel also claimed that the people of Kashmir had forgotten to laugh because of the army everywhere. “It seems Kashmiris have...forgotten to laugh. Army trucks and military presence seems to be part of daily life of Kashmiris. There is a kind of indifference lurking in every part of Kashmir,” he said in the post criticising the trifurcation of the state and repeal of Article 370.
Interestingly, Jaleel is a former member of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and a history teacher in a Malappuram college.
He later took down the post after receiving flak. Three complaints were filed against him in Kerala and Delhi on Saturday, while the ABVP filed a fresh complaint with Thiruvananthapuram police commissioner on Sunday seeking strict action against the MLA.
The ruling CPI(M) has distanced itself from Jaleel’s remarks, with sitting minister MV Govindan even saying that what his colleague said was not the party’s view. The opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party have sought a response from chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is reportedly close to Jaleel.
“The CM should explain. How can he (Jaleel) continue as a legislator? His words are anti-national,” said minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan. Union minister Prahlad Joshi called him a “traitor” and asked the state government to take action the MLA.
