The CPI (M) Kozhikode district secretariat's statement calling the GAIL protestors “Muslim extremists who possess the primitive mentality of the 7th century“, has landed the party in a controversy, reports TOI. This came after protests against the GAIL pipeline turned violent on Wednesday.

The statement had also pointed fingers at organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Solidarity Youth Movement.

The statement alleges that extremist outfits like the PFI, SDPI and Solidarity Youth Movement are persuading people to violence in the name of agitation, reports TOI.

The CPI (M) district secretariat in its statement issued, also accused the Congress and IUML of supporting the extremists instead of taking action against them.

CPI (M) district committee member KT Kunhikannan while speaking to TOI clarified that the statement was not meant to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments. “We want to expose the forces who wanted to turn the clock back. They certainly have the mentality of primitives of 7th century,” he said.

KT Kunhikannan also alleged that the extremists are using religious symbols to incite passion among the protestors. He said, “They are deliberately organising namaz at the protest site to give a religious colour to the agitation“.

Meanwhile, the Welfare Party president Hameed Vaniyambalam while speaking to TOI said that the statement has exposed CPI (M)’s soft corner to the Hindutva line of politics.

“Of late, the CPI (M) is using the tools prepared in Sangh Parivar institutions. The party is trying to find a temporary solution by pointing fingers at the so-called extremists,” he said.

SDPI president Abdul Majeed Faizy retorted by blaming the CPI (M) for issuing a statement that has obvious communal colour to it and is an insult to the religion.