Kerala Minister's Comments on Muslim League Trigger Political Storm
Senior CPI(M) leader and Kerala minister Saji Cherian has stirred controversy with his recent statements about election results in Muslim-majority areas. The minister's remarks have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties who accuse the ruling Left Democratic Front of attempting communal polarisation ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
"Look at the List of Winners"
Speaking on Sunday, Cherian specifically targeted the Indian Union Muslim League, which is an ally of the Congress party. "Look at the list of winners in the Kasaragod Municipality and Malappuram district panchayat," Cherian said. He pointed out that in the 39-member Kasaragod municipality, the CPI(M) secured only one seat while Congress got two. The BJP won 12 seats and the IUML captured 22 positions.
"There will be a situation where a person cannot win in a place where his community is not in the majority," Cherian continued. "In Muslim areas, the IUML wins, and in Hindu areas, it is the BJP. Whereas, the CPI(M), which promotes secularism, is getting defeated."
Immediate Backlash and Defense
After his comments sparked controversy, Cherian defended his position by stating that his intention was to highlight the need for the Left to strengthen itself to fight the RSS. "I wanted to read out their names. I wanted this situation not to happen elsewhere in Kerala," he explained about the election results.
However, opposition leaders quickly condemned the minister's statements. IUML state president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal responded sharply, saying Cherian should learn about his own party "which stands for secularism." Thangal asserted, "We have the courage to seek votes while maintaining communal harmony. Those who do not have that courage are behind this agenda of polarisation."
Opposition Accusations of Polarisation Tactics
Congress Opposition Leader V D Satheesan accused the CPI(M) of following the same path as the Sangh Parivar. He claimed the ruling party was trying to make political gains by dividing people along communal lines. "Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is supporting that," Satheesan alleged. "Cherian and former minister A K Balan had made the statements with the consent of the Chief Minister. How can CPI(M) claim to be different from the Sangh Parivar?"
Satheesan referenced a previous statement by CPI(M) leader A K Balan, who had claimed that if the Congress-led UDF came to power, the Jamaat-e-Islami would handle the Home Department. This reference is particularly notable given that the Jamaat-e-Islami had supported the CPI(M)-led LDF for decades until 2019, when the organisation decided to back the Congress at the national level.
Historical Context and Recent Developments
The controversy comes amid a complex political backdrop in Kerala. In 2015, the CPI(M) had ruled several local bodies with support from the Welfare Party of India, the political wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. Just last year, the CPI(M) had openly wooed the IUML and praised the party for having a secular outlook.
Adding another layer to the situation, SNDP leader Vellappally Natesan, who leads the backward Hindu Ezhava group and is considered close to the Left party, made remarks on Saturday that a UDF win in the Kerala Assembly elections would mean the IUML would rule the state. His comments have also been criticised as communal by some observers.
The timing of these statements is significant as Kerala prepares for crucial Assembly elections. Opposition parties maintain that the CPI(M) is deliberately using communal rhetoric to polarise voters. The ruling party, meanwhile, defends its leaders' comments as observations about electoral realities rather than attempts at polarisation.
This political controversy highlights the delicate balance of communal equations in Kerala politics, where parties often navigate complex demographic realities while maintaining their ideological positions. The coming weeks will likely see more such exchanges as election campaigning intensifies across the state.
