The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday said “majority and minority communalism were equally dangerous” and banning a few selected outfits won’t do any good even as many state Congress leaders also sought a ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also.
“All kinds of communalism is dangerous. Banning an organisation won’t end its ideology. They will return with a new name or identity. If you go by the logic of banning all communal outfits, the RSS comes first. Will it be banned?” asked CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan.He said RSS was equally responsible for spreading hatred in the society and “was behind many violent incidents” in the country.
But the Bharatiya Janata Party came down heavily on the CPI(M) saying it was “natural” for the party to get hurt after “one of its allies” was banned.
“We all know in many municipalities and panchayats in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, both (CPI(M) and PFI ) share power. The PFI grew in Kerala with tacit support of the CPI(M). In north Kerala, many PFI leaders have close association with the CPI(M),” said party state president K Surendran.
He also asked chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to drop state port minister Ahamad Deverkoil, who represented the Indian National League (INL), from the government alleging he was closely associated with the banned Rehab India Foundation.
“It is a shame that a banned organisation’s office-bearer is in the cabinet. He should be sacked immediately,” said Surendran, adding its website still shows Deverkoil as its vice-president.
But INL secretary Kasim Irikoor said, earlier some of the party leaders were associated with the Rehab India, however, they closed their association after some fundamentalist outfits took control of it. “Surendran’s charges are baseless. He is trying to put the whole community under smoke screen citing wrong doings of certain people,”Irikoor said.
State opposition leader V D Satheesan and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala also sought a ban on RSS. “The RSS is biggest communal outfit in the country. Its ideology is based on hatred and violence. If PFI is banned, RSS should also be banned,” said Satheesan.
The Muslim League, a staunch ally of the Congress in the state, is, however, divided over the ban on PFI. While former minister and senior leader M K Muneer hailed the decision, party MP E T Mohammad Basheer said banning an outfit will not end its ideology. “The PFI was misleading Muslim youth for many years. Everyone should condemn its extremist ideology and it should not take rebirth using other names,” said Muneer.
