Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Panakkad Sadiqali Shihab Thangal on Monday dismissed reports that his party would leave the United Democratic Front (UDF) and join the Communist Party of India-Marxist [CPI(M)]- led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Inaugurating a camp of the district IUML council at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district on Monday, the Thangal reiterated his party’s unwavering commitment to the UDF. There was no question of deviating from the IUML’s responsibility to strengthen the Congress-led UDF in the State, the Thangal said.
His response came at a time when the LDF is allegedly trying to woo the key constituent of the UDF into its fold.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the LDF were creating fabricated news with the support of some media to stick on to power in the Centre and State respectively, he said.
The LDF was trying to create a rift in the UDF due to its fear of a huge failure in the coming Lok Sabha election, the Thangal said. But the prime and important duty of the party was to work for strengthening the UDF, he said.
As the LDF government was alienated from the public, the public was kept away from the State government’s Navakerala Sadas as well, he said. Such gimmicks could not whitewash the anti-people policies being implemented by the LDF government, he said.
As the IUML was among the founders of the UDF, the coalition’s strength was very important for the party, he said. The Thangal said the IUML had several reasons to remain steadfast in its alliance with the UDF.
‘Burden to people’
Delivering the keynote, IUML national secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty said the LDF government became a burden to the public owing to its indolent, anti-people policies. The government had stopped all welfare activities one by one and put an end to the incentives to the common man, Mr. Kunhalikutty said. The IUML was the mainstay of the UDF and it had a legacy of four decades with the front, he said.
