THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling LDF has made the secret meeting between the top leadership of IUML and SDPI held in Malappuram on Thursday a major election campaign issue.
Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan led the attack against IUML. He said it is clear that the talks were part of an electoral understanding.
“This is the problem. We will be able to defend secularism only if we adopt an uncompromising stand against the communal forces. You should not compromise on secularism for the sake of two votes. Unfortunately, the UDF is doing it for electoral gains,” he said.
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the meeting between the IUML and SDPI indicated a fear of defeat has set in the UDF camp. The UDF leadership is resorting to all sorts of tactics, including compromising with communal parties like the SDPI and BJP. He said the understanding between IUML and hardline organisation like SDPI posed serious threat to secularism and it was dangerous.
The CPM state secretary accused the UDF of hobnobbing with the BJP-RSS in some constituencies to defeat the LDF.
The talks between the IUML and SDPI has exposed the unholy nexus between the two parties and raised questions about League’s claim of being a secular organisation. The clandestine talks have come as a major embarrassment for Congress as Muslim League is the second biggest ally in UDF.
Though the Congress leaders feigned ignorance about IUML-SDPI meeting, it would not be sufficient in the wake of LDF mounting attack and branding them of “being hand-in-glove” with communal forces. Clearly, under the present circumstances the Congress leadership will have to come out with a convincing explanation before the electorate.
