Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Panakkad Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal has said that the people can see through the political game being played by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the name of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya on January 22.
He was speaking at a rally taken out by the party’s youth outfit, Muslim Youth League, at the Kozhikode beach on Sunday evening against the “politics of hate” in the country. The event, in which senior United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders such as Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan were also present, became a show of strength for the IUML ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
“All of us respect and love Lord Ram. But the BJP is trying to gain political mileage out of the Ram Temple opening. We will not allow this political game. The people of this country are not foolish enough not to understand their tactics,” the Thangal pointed out. He claimed that the IUML would not want to tie the history of the minorities around the Babri Masjid issue, but would like to take them forward on a path of progress.
“There is poverty, unemployment, and violation of democratic principles in the country. None of it is becoming a point of discussion. Emotional issues are being exploited for political purposes,” the Thangal said. He said that the BJP had managed to get only between 43% to 47% of votes in the recently held elections in five State Assemblies. The Congress and its allies will be able to dislodge the BJP from power at the Centre if they work hard, the Thangal added.
Telangana’s Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Danasari Anasuya, also known as Seethakka, who was the chief guest at the event, alleged that the BJP was dividing the people with its evil mindset and fooling the country with its lies. “There is talk about double engine government. But what we have is ‘triple engine government’, run by [Narendra] Modi, [Gautam] Adani and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” she claimed. Ms. Anasuya also alleged that the Kerala government had a partnership with the Centre as there was no progress into the investigation into corruption cases involving the Chief Minister.
Mr. Satheesan also reiterated his claim that the CPI(M) had a tie-up with the BJP to weaken the Congress. P.K. Kunhalikutty, Deputy leader of the Opposition, said that the UDF would sweep the Lok Sabha polls in the State.
