The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] will continue to engage with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on issues concerning larger public interest, party Kozhikode district secretary P. Mohanan has said.
He was addressing a press conference here on Tuesday ahead of a public rally scheduled here for November 11 to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. Though the CPI(M) had invited the IUML to the event, the latter declined it citing “technical reasons” as that party continues to be a major constituent of the Opposition United Democratic Front. Earlier, the IUML had turned down a similar invitation to attend a CPI(M) seminar held in July against the proposed Uniform Civil Code.
“IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikkutty has taken a positive approach as he has thanked us for the invitation. It is a humanitarian issue. This is neither political nor something to do with changing political alliances. We will continue to cooperate with them on all possible issues concerning the country and the world,” Mr. Mohanan pointed out.
Asked why the Congress was not invited to the pro-Palestine rally, the CPI(M) leader cited that party’s tilt towards Israel in recent times. “The Congress has changed its position favouring an independent Palestine, which, it has been following from the Nehru era. Now, that party is supporting Israel, which is not acceptable. Congress Working Committee member Shashi Tharoor’s observation that the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 had led to the current situation in Gaza should be seen in this context,” Mr. Mohanan said. He also pointed out that the Congress issuing a show-cause notice to Aryadan Shoukath, who defied the party diktat to hold a pro-Palestine rally in Malappuram, was another example, he added.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will open the rally to be held at the Calicut Trade Centre at 4 p.m. The venue is named after the late Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafath, whose death anniversary also falls on November 11.
