The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will not participate in a rally to be organised by the CPI(M) in Kozhikode on November 11 to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
This was announced by party national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty after a high-level meeting of the party held in Kozhikode on November 4, 2023 afternoon.
“We thank 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.
This follows speculation about the IUML tilting towards the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) after party national organising secretary E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, recently announced that if the CPI(M) extended an invitation, his party would consider attending the rally. Subsequently, CPI(M) Kozhikode district secretary P. Mohanan declared that the IUML would be sent an invite. However, this did not go down well with the Congress whose leaders are reported to have expressed their displeasure with the IUML leadership.
Thereafter, the issue was taken up by the top IUML leadership, which decided to turn down the invitation. Panakkad Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal, who could not attend the meeting held at the State committee office in Kozhikode, was consulted over phone.
“We are part of an alliance involving the Congress, which was not invited to the event. If we attend it, an impression will be created that there is some sort of discord. So we thought of declining the invitation,” Mr. Kunhalikutty said.
He also urged the government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the Palestine issue.
