PDP, Jamat betrayed Muslims by supporting Left: Congress

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 12 (UNI) The People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami have betrayed the Muslim community by supporting the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the Assembly elections in the state, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman M M Hassan today said.

The LDF, especially the CPI(M), had always stood against the interests of the Muslim community, and giving support to the LDF was only betrayal of the community, he told reporters here.

Mr Hassan said it was only for vested interests that the PDP and the Jamaat-e-Islami were supporting the LDF and not for upholding the Community's interest.

It was the Marxists who had strongly opposed the Islamic Shariat and favoured a Uniform Civil Code, he said and added that the Marxists always had a different attitude towards the Muslim community.

Further attacking the CPI(M) and the Left Front for its negative approach towards the Muslim community, Mr Hassan said Opposition leader V S Achutanandan had ridiculed the Muslims when the students from the community had secured ranks. He had even sent a letter to the Kerala Governor against sanctioning of schools in Malappuram district, where Muslims are in large numbers.

Mr Achutanandan had written in the CPI(M) controlled ''Chintha'' weekly that the Jamaat-e-Islami were getting funds from Imperialist forces.

Mr Hassan said it was in this context that the PDP's and the Jamaat-e-Islami's support to the LDF should be seen. ''They had betrayed the whole community by supporting a Front which had always stood against the Muslims,'' he said.

KPCC general secretary M I Shanawaz who later addressed reporters said the CPI(M) was playing ''Muslim card'' in the elections. The LDF was now engaged in sending wrong signals about the Narendran Commission report on job quota for minorities. The CPI(M) was trying to propagate that about 200 people from the backward community would be dismissed from service because of the Narendran Commission report.

''They are also unleashing false propaganda that the Public Service Commission (PSC) would send show-cause notice to these people and then dismiss them. It should be noted that the PSC is only a recruiting agency and not an appointing authority,'' he said.

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