Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State secretary P.M.A. Salam has claimed that there has been a racial attack against Shafi Parambil, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate from the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency.
Attending ‘Election Exchange’, an interactive session organised by the Calicut Press Club on April 20 (Saturday), he said that the Left Democratic Front was resorting to communal campaign in the constituency. The IUML leader also sought a detailed investigation into the Panoor crude bomb blast case.
Asked about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s allegation that the Congress manifesto was silent about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act [CAA], Mr. Salam said that probably he must not have heard the statement Rahul Gandhi had made at the Kozhikode beach. “He had uncategorically said that if the Congress comes to power, citizenship will not be granted based on religion or caste. Being the leader of the INDIA bloc, what he says matters more than what is mentioned in the election manifesto,” Mr. Salam added.
The IUML leader alleged that there was no honesty in what Mr. Vijayan says about the CAA. “He had earlier declared that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act would not be implemented in Kerala. But 147 cases have been registered under it in the State so far. He now says that the CAA will not be implemented here. There are reports that a detention centre is being set up in Kollam to keep people without valid documents,” Mr. Salam claimed.