‘Disagree with Priyanka Gandhi’s statement on Ram Mandir’: Ally IUML unhappy

Priyanka Gandhi said that the bhumi pujan was a marker of national unity, brotherhood and cultural harmony in accordance with lord Ram’s message and blessings.
IUML leaders in the press meet
IUML leaders in the press meet

The latest stand of a section of national leadership of the Congress on the Ayodhya Ram temple construction has invited strong criticism from Muslim organisations in Kerala, which have been strong political allies of the party for several decades. Soon after the ground-breaking ceremony (bhumi pujan) of Ram Temple held at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) convened a national committee meeting at Panakkad (Malappuram district) and passed a resolution, strongly criticising Priyanka Gandhi over her recent comment on the construction of Ram temple.

In a statement issued ahead of the bhumi puja of the temple, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest, Priyanka Gandhi said on Tuesday that the event was a marker of national unity, brotherhood and cultural harmony in accordance with the message of lord Rama and with his blessings. This was a significant shift from the Congress party’s stance, which leaned towards secularism.

“We express our disagreement on the statement issued by Priyanka Gandhi on the construction of the temple in Ayodhya and her statement is very much out of place,” read the two-line resolution passed by IUML, an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, the national general secretary of IUML, PK Kunhalikutty said that the party needs more time to take further stand on the issue. Referring to the similar statements issued by other national leaders of Congress Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh, ET Mohammed Basheer MP, the national organising secretary of IUML, said that the disagreement over the statement issued by the other Congress leaders is also implied in the party’s resolution.

On Tuesday, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath offered prayers before the idols of lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman and recited the Hanuman Chalisa.

Although Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) Digvijay Singh called the ‘muhurat’ of the foundation stone laying inauspicious, it seems like the Muslim organisations have interpreted his statement as indirect support to the construction of the Ram temple.

The party’s mouthpiece ‘Chandrika’ daily, too, has strongly criticised the fresh stand of Congress leaders on Ram Temple construction, in its editorial published on Wednesday. The editorial titled ‘Babri Vranathil Mulaku Purataruth’ (roughly translated as please don’t exacerbate the wound that is Babri Masjid) said that it is the responsibility of the Congress party to prevent BJP from misusing its power for the construction of the temple, which challenges the secular credentials of the nation.

“The statement made by Priyanka Gandhi, Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath are not very different from the stand of the Congress party when the Supreme Court issued its final verdict on the Ayodhya dispute (in November 2019). Time has proven that it is better to follow the policy of Nehru, which always respects and protects the belief of all sections of people in the country. Everybody should keep in mind that destroying secular values of a nation for political gain is like destroying one's own existence,” the editorial read.

Earlier, Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema, an organisation of Sunni scholars in Kerala, had also come up with a statement against the Congress. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Muslim organisation condemned the move to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"It is very painful that the temple is being constructed at the site of the Masjid, with the support of government machineries. The statements issued by a section of Congress leaders in support of the temple construction can be seen as their individual opinion. We are hopeful that Congress will not step back from its official stand, which upholds secular values," said a joint statement issued by the president of the organisation, Sayed Muhammed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal and general secretary K Alikkutty Musaliyar.

However, Hussain Madavoor, a senior leader of Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, an Islamic organisation, stated that the fresh stand of the Congress leaders is pragmatic and that Muslim League’s stand on the issue should not affect the decades-old relationship with Congress.

“There were demands from various corners for Muslim league to drop alliance with the Congress during the demolition of Babri Masjid. But the party never took such an extreme step and the party’s leadership managed to deal with the issue in a mature and practical manner. Now, the Supreme Court verdict is a chance to permanently close the chapter of the dispute and the League should focus on another political agenda, which will help the community to attain progress,” he said.

There was strong criticism against his statement on social media.

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) launched a campaign titled ‘Stop Ram Mandir, Restore Babri Land to Muslims’ on Wednesday morning. As part of this, SDPI uploaded pictures, where many members, including children, can be seen holding posters, protesting against the construction of the temple.

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