BJP questions CPI(M)'s move to join hands with Jamaat-e-Islami

Kasaragod, April 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party, which considers Jamaat-e-Islami as a fundamentalist and extremist group, has questioned the reported move by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to forge an electoral understanding with it.

“The CPI (M) state leadership owes an explanation to the party as to why it opted to change its stance towards the Jamaat-e-Islami, which it had till recently labelled as a group promoting fundamentalist and extremist forces and should clarify the kind of offer it had made to the Muslim outfit ahead of the Assembly polls,” PS Sreedharan Pillai, a BJP leader told a press conference here.

The CPI (M) should also clarify whether it had assessed the political ramifications the Left party would have to face by forging an electoral tie-up with the Muslim outfit, as Jamaat-e-Islami state political secretary Hameed Vanimel had opted to quit the outfit in protest against the state leadership's move, he said.

Vanimel's stance

The CPI (M)'s overtures had been exposed after Vanimel disclosed the details of a meeting CPI (M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had with Jamaat-e-Islami State Amir T Arif Ali in Alappuzha on March 20.

He also had alleged that the talks with the ruling party leaders were held without arriving at a consensus within the organisation.

Vanimel said that the Kerala unit of the Jamaat-e-Islami decided to back the LDF without analysing the five years of LDF rule and despite the hypocritical policies of the LDF to destroy the JIH through power and influence. The CPI (M) has always accused that JIH was a terrorist organisation and wanted to destroy JIH. Hence, giving votes to them is not a rational decision, he reportedly added.

Vanimel said that he was resigning from his posts as the state secretariat member, shura member and even the primary membership.

JIH's clarification

Meanwhile, JIH Kerala Amir T Arifali reportedly told the media that the organisation had not taken any decision yet on its stand in the elections. The Jamaat had held talks with CPI (M) general secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. And a majority of the shura members support the view that the LDF should be backed in the election. However, a final decision would be taken only after the opinion of the members, he reportedly said. He added that the organisation had not got any letter of resignation from Hameed Vanimel.

The Jamat-e-Islami earlier used to support individual candidates from both the LDF and the UDF based on values. It gave support to the LDF in all constituencies in the last Assembly elections. In the last Parliament elections also, the organisation supported the LDF in all but two constituencies. However, in the panchayat elections held last year, the organisation entered the field of electoral politics through its local alliances known as Janakeeya Munnani in different places.