Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode: Chief minister-designate V D Satheesan on Friday hit out at the communal and hate campaigns against the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), asserting that the party is a key constituent of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and played a decisive role in the front's electoral victory. Satheesan noted that the IUML has been with the UDF since the time of K Karunakaran and alleged that attempts are being made to isolate the party through hate campaigns aimed at creating divisions in society.
Satheesan warns against weakening IUML
"If the IUML is weakened, communal forces will occupy that space. The IUML is a political force that resists such tendencies," he said. Those opposing the League should understand this reality, he added. Satheesan said there would be no compromise against hate campaigns and reiterated that the UDF would remain firm for secularism. He asserted that the coalition did not compromise with communalism even during the election campaign. "We will not permit any force to destroy the harmony in Kerala where future generations should live together peacefully. We will oppose such attempts at any cost," he said.
He said criticism against him personally from community organisations or individuals was acceptable but warned against the spread of communal rhetoric. He accused the BJP of spreading hatred at the national and state levels to divide people. "What Kerala told the country through this election is that ours is a secular state," he said.
No IUML pressure in CM selection, says Thangal
Amid criticism from the BJP and Nair Service Society (NSS) over the alleged role of the IUML in the Congress' decision to appoint V D Satheesan as the new chief minister, Panakkad Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal said his party had neither exerted pressure nor tried to influence the decision. He said the IUML had neither proposed a candidate nor suggested any name for the CM's post. He added that the Congress leadership took the decision after extensive discussions and consultations.
"The Congress high command assessed the situation accurately. AICC observers came here, met individual leaders and held discussions before submitting their report. The decision to appoint Satheesan came after such an elaborate consultative process. We see it primarily as recognition of his performance as the opposition leader," he said.
Thangal said Satheesan had played a key role in highlighting the anti-incumbency sentiment against the LDF government and had led the UDF in the recent by-elections. "Recognizing his leadership and capability, the AICC took this decision," he said.
Responding to BJP-NSS criticism, he said attempts were underway to create a false narrative even if the IUML remained silent on the issue. "A narrative is being created that Satheesan was chosen as the CM at the insistence of the IUML. The entire state of Kerala voted in this election. There was a strong anti-government sentiment across the state and Satheesan stood at the forefront of that campaign. Everyone has seen the way he performed. The UDF won 102 seats because all sections voted for the front. Nobody can become the CM by considering the interests of one community alone and the people of the state recognized it," he said.
Thangal reiterated that the IUML had neither exerted pressure nor tried to influence the decision to elevate Satheesan and maintained that the decision reflected both public sentiment and the Congress party's internal consultations.
