Opposition's protests against Kerala minister are anti-Quran, says CPI(M)

The CPI(M) termed the protests staged by Opposition parties demanding the resignation of Kerala Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel as an “anti-Quran agitation”.

Jaleel was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by accepting consignments of the Holy Quran brought from UAE through diplomatic channels. He also appeared before the National Investigation Agency probing the gold smuggling through diplomatic baggage.

Rejecting the Opposition’s demand for Jaleel’s resignation, the state's ruling CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, in party daily Deshabhimani, termed the protest against the state minister and the LDF government as an “anti-Quran agitation”, according to a report by The Indian Express.

Read: Kerala CM, CPM leaders highlight Quran to defend KT Jaleel

“IUML is adding fire to the anti-Quran agitation of RSS. Congress will also be with IUML in that act. We are opposing the agitation against Quran on the ground that no religious text should become subject of ridicule,” he wrote in his weekly column.

On the other hand, the Opposition rejected Balakrishnan’s claims and accused the LDF of communalising the issue.

“The government has lost its face. Using the Quran for political ends is dangerous,” Congress state president Mullappally Ramachandran told the publication.

As per the report, attacking the CPI(M), the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said that the CPI(M) and Jaleel should answer to the allegations related to the gold smuggling.

Adding to that, BJP state chief K Surendran also said that the CPI(M) is trying to project Jaleel as the symbol of a religion. “It is communalising the issue,” he told The Indian Express.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said at least 385 cases had been registered and 1,131 people arrested for taking part in "various violent protests" against Jaleel in the past week, demanding his resignation.

The CPI(M) countered the Customs claim, saying that the Protocol Department under the state government was not approached by the UAE Consulate authorities for attestation of the tax exemption certificate for consignments of Holy Quraan because as per rule, exemption certificate cannot be given to religious books imported from a foreign country.

The party claimed as per rule, it is specifically stated that Exemption Certificate (EC) should not be given to religious books and the consulate officials never approached the state protocol officer for getting the attestation of the EC.

Meanwhile, Jaleel hit out at the media for targeting him over the issue. In a Facebook post, Jaleel said he sympathises with media friends who provide live details of his movements and the places of his stay during his journey, which help those protesters who target him on roads.

(With agency inputs)