Well, Congress does try to portray itself as a secular political party laced with novel virtues by trying to make the audience sit in its “Sanctimonious Talk’ cinema hall but the political happenings every time drop the curtain over the screen. For more than a decade, a large section of political commentators, ideological opponents, and even a few Senior Congress leaders have asserted that the people’s perception of the grand old party is that it is becoming the new Muslim League. Now, its I.N.D.I. alliance partner, CPI(M) has come out publicly against the Congress party for getting hand in glove with Islamic extremist groups. The alliance partner has removed the veil of Congress’ secular credentials.
Recently, ahead of the by-polls in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed Congress for hobnobbing with the banned extremist Islamist group – Jamaat-e-Islami. Pertinently, the CPI(M) is a key ally of the Congress party under the opposition umbrella – the I.N.D.I. alliance.
Communist leader, Vijayan lambasted Congress, particularly its General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, claiming that she is contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami, an extremist Islamist group banned in several countries over terror-related activities.
In his social media post, Pinarayi Vijayan said that the by-election in Wayanad has completely exposed the Congress party’s secular mask.
While campaigning for CPI(M)’s candidate Sathyan Mokeri, Vijayan took potshots at Congress and Jamaat-e-Islami. He asked the crowd, “Priyanka Gandhi is running as a candidate there with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. So, what exactly is Congress’s stance? Our country is not unfamiliar with Jamaat-e-Islami. Does that organization’s ideology align with democratic values?”
He stated that Jamaat-e-Islami prioritizes Islamic rule over democracy. He also linked the group’s political wing, the Welfare Party of India (WPI), to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and exposed that they are working together to influence Kerala’s political landscape. It must be noted that a few days back the Welfare Party extended its support to Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad, who is contesting against CPI(M)’s Sathyan Mokeri.
In a glaring display of Congress’ soft or even hobnobbing stance with the Islamist group to appease the Muslim vote bank, even the Communists – who are notorious for downplaying the radical activities and crimes of Islamists – are pointing out that Congress’ nexus with Islamist group is dangerous and too much for the country.
Jamaat-e-Islami
Jamaat-e-Islami an Islamist group, was founded by Muslim Brotherhood leader Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi in order to make the whole world bow down to Islam. Since then it has been involved in numerous extremist activities globally. JeI was responsible for the Bangladeshi Hindu Genocide during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Its student wing, Chhatra Shibir, recently fueled violence in Bangladesh because of which the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave Bangladesh following which the group ran a campaign of genocide against Hindus ofr Bangladesh which is still active.
Globally, Jamaat-e-Islami has links with various terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PJI), also and has been involved in funding terrorism. In 2006, it donated $100,000 to Hamas. In India, JeI has been active in promoting separatism, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, where it was banned in 2019. It also attempts to radicalize Muslim youths in India, organizing events to convert non-Muslims and supporting protests like the 2021 hijab protest which took place in Karnataka.
It is not only limited to Pinarayi Vijayan’s claim, the Indian National Congress from time to time has marked itself as the undisputed champion of ‘minority appeasement’ politics. The Congress seeks support from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an Islamist political party during the Kerala Assembly election polls. IUML is a major member of the United Democratic Front led by Congress.
Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader himself gave the ‘secular’ certificate to the Muslim League. In June 2023, during a media interaction at the National Press Club in Washington DC, Rahul Gandhi on a question about Congress’s alliance with the Muslim League in Kerala, in the context of the party’s stance on secularism answered, “The Muslim League is a completely secular party. There is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League.” Surprisingly Rahul Gandhi could not find that the term ‘Muslim’ in the ‘Muslim League’ itself makes it a non-secular party. Yup, he is the same Rahul who in no time finds Hindutva communal and issues calls to crumble it down. Also, he is the same Rahul Gandhi who is quick enough to label any individual going to Mandir as a molester!!
Also, Recently the All India Ulema Board has offered its support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by Congress for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections provided certain conditions are met with conditions of providing opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, ₹1,000 crore financial aid for the Maharashtra Waqf Board, a 10% reservation for Muslims, preferential police recruitment for Muslims, a ban on the RSS, and legal action against BJP leader Nitesh Rane along with the release of Salman Azheri who was arrested for making anti-hindu remarks.
Even a layman with limited study of the socio-politico arena will be able to clearly look at the mutual relationship the oldest political party, the Indian National Congress shares with the Islamists in India!!!!
