The Kerala State committee of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has once again tactfully declined the advances of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] by turning down its invitation to attend a rally to express solidarity with the Palestinian people in Kozhikode on November 11.
While announcing this after emerging from a high-level meeting of the party here on Saturday, national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty thanked the CPI(M) for the invitation. “But, being a constituent of the United Democratic Front (UDF), due to technical reasons, we are unable to attend the event. Representatives of religious organisations will be present there. Let it be a grand programme,” he said.
The IUML’s decision followed speculation about the party’s tilt towards the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the State. The CPI(M) had not initially included the IUML on the list of invitees to the rally though Muslim organisations such as the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, a Sunni scholars’ forum that has been the backbone of the latter, is part of it. However, while addressing the media a couple of days ago, party national organising secretary E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, announced that his party would consider attending the rally if the CPI(M) extended an invitation. CPI(M) Kozhikode district secretary P. Mohanan quickly responded, saying his party would be too happy to do so.
