Pinarayi reading K Surendran's script: Mamkootathil on CM's remarks against Shihab Thangal
The CM had criticised Shihab Thangal on Sunday, saying he was acting like a worker of Jamaat-e-Islami.
The CM had criticised Shihab Thangal on Sunday, saying he was acting like a worker of Jamaat-e-Islami.
The CM had criticised Shihab Thangal on Sunday, saying he was acting like a worker of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Palakkad: UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil on Monday slammed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his remarks against IUML supremo Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal. Mamkootathil also said he doubted the relevance of a silent campaign in a world dominated by social media. “The CM and Surendran have the same PR agency. The Chief Minister is reading a script written for BJP State President K Surendran. The remarks against Thangal have exposed the 'Sanghi' within the CM,” Mamkootathil said on Monday.
The CM had criticised Shihab Thangal on Sunday, saying he was acting like a worker of Jamaat-e-Islami. He was commenting on a meeting between former BJP leader Sandeep G Varier and the top leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). However, the Left veteran did not directly mention Varier's name throughout his speech.
“Everybody, including the secular people and members of the minority communities in Palakkad, have clear knowledge of the stance of this person (Sandeep Varier) so far. His visit to the Panakkad family was part of an attempt to see whether any change could be made in this by holding talks with IUML leaders,” Vijayan alleged.
The CM also accused the media of 'glorifying' Varier’s joining the grand old party without mentioning his name. While addressing a bypoll campaign meeting for LDF candidate P Sarin, Vijayan said the latest turn of events and interventions were due to the anxieties of the 'right-wing media' and the grand old party about the upcoming election in the Palakkad assembly segment.
Vijayan said the news of Varier's visit to IUML leaders brought back memories of an election held in Ottapalam in this district soon after the demolition of the Babri Masjid many years ago. The CM alleged that though the masjid was demolished by the RSS-led Sangh Parivar, it was the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and the Congress-led central government that had extended full support for it.