A leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) made distasteful remarks on the marriage between Kerala PWD Minister P A Muhammed Riyas and Veena Vijayan, daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, describing it as ‘illegitimate’ and ‘prostitution’.
Addressing a massive rally organised by the Muslim League in Kozhikode on Thursday evening in protest against the stand of the state's ruling LDF on Waqf board appointments, party state secretary Abdurahiman Kallayi urged the League workers to show the audacity to protest loudly against Riyas's marriage with Veena last year.
Veena and Riyas married in June last year. The marriage was held when Riyas was the national president of DYFI (Democratic Youth Federation of India). Riyas was elected as MLA from Beypore Assembly seat in Kozhikode in the Assembly polls held in April this year.
He was inducted in the state Cabinet headed by Vijayan, his father-in-law. In his speech highlighting the importance of Islamic principles in the life of Muslims, Abdurahiman Kallayi said the former all India president of the DYFI belongs to his locality.
"Who is his wife? Is this a marriage? It is prostitution, an illegitimate relationship," Abdurahiman Kallayi said and urged the IUML workers to display the courage to say it. He called for the Muslim League workers to follow the path shown by late leader C H Muhammad Koya on such matters. The Muslim League leader also attacked the DYFI for its stand on homosexuality.
Referring to the CPI(M)'s election manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha polls which had promised legal recognition and protection to same sex couple, Abdurahiman Kallayi alleged that the sexual anarchy was being encouraged in the society.
Participating in the rally, the Muslim League workers also shouted slogans with casteist tone against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Kallayi's comments were widely condemned by the social media users in Kerala, forcing him to tender an apology.
Expressing regret on Friday, Kallayi said, in his speech, he was only referring to the religious outlook on personal life and it was not intended to hurt the sentiments of any one.
DYFI slammed the Muslim League for its leader's controversial remarks against Riyas and Veena, urging the party to examine its leader's mental state. In a Facebook post, DYFI state secretary V K Sanoj termed as "uncivilised" the remarks of the Muslim League leaders against Riyas, Veena and the CM and said their such attitude was a humiliation for Kerala. The Muslim League rally was organised against the LDF government's move to leave Waqf Board appointments to the state Public Service Commission (PSC).
Earlier this week, the Chief Minister had held talks with top Sunni Muslim clerics in the state and assured them that the decision on leaving the appointments to the PSC will be taken only after a detailed discussion.