RSS-Taliban nexus exposed with IIM training: CPM

The nexus of the BJP government at the Centre with the Taliban has been exposed again with the decision to allow representatives of the Taliban administration of Afghanistan to attend an online programme at the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode, said CPM Kerala secretary M V Govindan.

"CPM's observation that extremist outfits would mutually help has been once again proved true with the nexus of the Narendra Modi government led by RSS with Taliban. The Modi government that often says that it is against extremism is enhancing its rapport with the Taliban," Govindan told reporters on Wednesday.

Govindan also referred to recent meetings between the RSS and some Muslim outfits like Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

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Representatives of three countries, including Afghanistan, are participating in an online programme on the topic 'Immersing with Indian thoughts: An India immersion program for cross sectoral foreign delegates' being conducted at IIM Kozhikode from March 14 to 17 as part of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme of the Ministry of External Affairs.

After the matter triggered a row, IIM Kozhikode said in a statement that participants and countries for ITEC programme were selected by MEA and IIM Kozhikode has no role in selection. There were 20 participants from three countries on the first day -- 18 from Afghanistan and one each from Thailand and Maldives.

Topics included are public funding in rural economy, legal and environmental landscape for business, economic freedom and entrepreneurship, richness of cultural heritage, India’s economic environment and global pandemic, growth of IT industry in India, understanding consumers and markets in India and regulatory ecosystem and ease of doing business in India. IIM Kozhikode has been conducting such programmes since 2019, said the statement.