Post-Lok Sabha election rout, Samastha mouthpiece slams CPM

Malappuram: The Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (Samastha) E K faction mouthpiece Suprabhatham Daily has come up with an editorial criticising CPM following its setback in the general election in Kerala. The organisation, which has shown a soft stand towards CPM for the last three years, also vehemently criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his rudeness. It is the first time Samastha has taken such an aggressive stand against the CPM and the Chief Minister in the second term of the Pinarayi government. Suprabhatham is one of the dailies which had received a lot of advertisements of LDF during the election campaign.  The daily had ignored the criticism from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) for publishing LDF ad.

It was rumoured that a huge section of the followers of Samastha would cast their vote this time for CPM and it would impact the vote share of the IUML in this election.   However, the election result shocked both Samastha and the CPM as the IUML won it with a mammoth margin.   The change in the stand of Samastha was visible even from the Mushavara meeting held a day after the election result where the leaders have expressed the willingness to end the rift with IUML.   The editorial in Friday’s newspaper has underlined the stand of the organisation.

''The people have lost trust in the government and CPM.   It is the reaction of the voters against the arrogance of Pinarayi Vijayan, the violent politics of SFI, etc.   The result shows that the CPM, known as the labourers' party, has distanced from the ordinary citizens. The anti-people stand taken by the government and CPM on consecutive occasions has also invited the ire of the voters.   However, they have continued the same stand even after knowing the displeasure of the public, the editorial noted.

''I can't answer whether Samastha has changed its lenience or not as it is a big committee comprising 40 members.   I have been getting indications that there is a change in the stand of a few leaders from their recent statements.   It should be because of either partially or completely following the setback in election result or the criticism from the organisation,'' Samastha Mushavara member and the pro-IUML leader in the organisation BahavuNadvi told Onmanorama.

Nadvi and IUML leaders boycotted the inauguration of the Gulf edition of Suprabhatham over conflict of interests.   Samastha had issued a show-cause notice to Nadvi for criticising the pro-CPM stand of the newspaper and the IUML also boycotted the function as a mark of dissent against the pro-CPM stand of Suprabhatham.   The IUML and Samastha members believe that the editorial of the newspaper on Friday would melt down the issues between the two organisations.