Nilambur bypoll: CPI(M) slams UDF over Jamaat-e-Islami backed support

Malappuram (Kerala): The ruling CPI (M) in Kerala on Tuesday slammed the Congress-led UDF for accepting support extended by the Jamaat-e-Islami backed Welfare party in the upcoming Assembly bypoll in Nilambur here and said the opposition front has lost the moral right to speak against communalism.

The Left party alleged that the support extended by the Welfare party for the UDF candidate reflected a continuing communal trend in the Congress-led alliance in the state.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan defended the support extended by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by controversial cleric Abdul Nasar Ma'dani to the Left candidate in the Nilambur bypoll, saying it was a party which has suffered "several persecutions" in the state.

Addressing reporters here, Govindan alleged that the UDF has become an "alliance of communal forces" and so it has no right to utter any word against communalism now.

"Not just in Nilambur, but throughout Kerala, they (UDF) will suffer its consequences," he said, adding that in the recent elections in the past also, the UDF forged alliances with communal forces.

Asked about the PDP, Govindan said it cannot be equated with Jamaat-e-Islami.

"Jamaat-e-Islami is one of the biggest communal outfits in the world. It is like RSS. It is an outfit which demands the formation of an Islamic nation. PDP has never taken such a stand," the Marxist veteran said.

CPI (M) leader Elamaram Kareem also vehemently criticised the Congress-led front over the Jamaat-e-Islami's support.

He alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami espouses an ideology that supports terrorism.

Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) a prominent Sunni youth organisation in the northern part of the state, also voiced opposition to the support extended by the outfit to the UDF in the upcoming bypoll.

A SYS leader said UDF bypoll candidate Aryadan Shoukath was a person who had earlier taken a stand that Jamaat-e-Islami was similar to ISIS, the global terror outfit.

"In such a circumstance, it is ridiculous for the Jamaat-e-Islami to go to him and extend their support. It is a move to create news headlines," he told a TV channel.

The main contest in the bypoll is between CPI (M) state secretariat member M Swaraj, and the Congress nominee Aryadan Shoukath.

The by-election is scheduled for June 19.