Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks during an interaction with journalists at the National Press Club in Washington, U.S., that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a “completely secular” party may have triggered a political slugfest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in Delhi. However, they had an unexpected impact in Kerala. The comment served to strengthen the alliance between the Congress and the IUML, solidifying their partnership for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls next year.
Interestingly, this development has put a dent in the plans of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], as the party was actively trying to win the IUML’s support. Last year, M.V. Govindan, the CPI(M) State secretary, praised IUML’s secular credentials and dismissed claims of it being a communal party, sparking intense discussions within political circles.
Following Mr. Gandhi’s comment, the BJP national leadership accused the IUML of sharing the same mindset as that of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, regarded as the father of nation of Pakistan, while the Congress leadership hit back saying that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had sent IUML leader E. Ahamed to Geneva to represent India.
