Leader of Opposition in Kerala VS Satheesan alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI (M) – leading the Left Democratic Front government was using the Palestine issue for political gain. The Congress leader said this after his meeting with leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Tuesday, November 7.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of a pro-Palestine solidarity rally being organised by the CPI(M), and to which the IUML, an ally of the Congress, has been invited, as was the state Congress General Secretary Aryadan Shoukath.

Satheesan and some other senior Congress leaders were in Malappuram for the district Congress convention, during which they called on the IUML leaders at Panakkad, native town/village of state IUML president Sayyid Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, who described the meeting a friendly visit.  

Talking to the media, VD Satheesan said,  “CPI(M) was not focused on the seriousness of the Palestine issue, but only wanted to create fissures  in the United Democratic Front (UDF). Calling the Muslim League for the rally is their political propaganda, and they only think about political gains - they’re never bothered about the main cause.” 

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has also alleged that the CIP(M) is trying to lure the Muslim League into the LDF and derisively called it a sinking ship. “This is not a Communist Party, this is an opportunist party. They are encouraging defections, but they cannot succeed in Kerala. They cannot lure anyone from the INC,’’ Chennithala insisted.

The controversy arose when the CPI(M) invited the IUML to attend its  pro-Palestine Rally on November 11. But the IUML has refused to join. Its national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty said that while the party was thankful to the CPI(M) for extending an invitation, his party would not attend the programme as it would send wrong signals.

“As a constituent of the United Democratic Front (UDF), we cannot technically take part in the programme. At the same time, we welcome the decision to conduct the rally,” he told reporters in Kozhikode on Saturday.