Palakkad: In a sharp critique, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan targeted Muslim League state president Sadiqali Shihab Thangal, accusing him of deviating from the principles of his predecessors. Speaking at an election meeting in Palakkad, the Chief Minister stated that the current Sadiqali Thangal was not like the revered Pannakkad Thangals of the past, who were widely respected. He further criticized Sadiqali Thangal for acting by the views of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Pinarayi Vijayan reminisced about his experience during the 1992 elections in Ottappalam, which took place after the Babri Masjid demolition. He pointed out that while the demolition was led by the RSS and its affiliates, the then Congress-led central government had enabled the actions. He emphasized that, despite their dissatisfaction with the Congress’s stance, the Muslim League had remained part of the Congress-led government. This led to widespread resentment within the League.
The Chief Minister recalled that the past leadership of the Muslim League, particularly the Pannakkad Thangals, was universally respected, unlike the present leadership of Sadiqali Thangal. He also mentioned that Thangal’s current actions were in line with the views of Jamaat-e-Islami, which, according to him, was a departure from the legacy of the earlier leaders.
Vijayan also criticized the Muslim League for their reaction to the party’s association with Sandeep Varyar. He suggested that the Congress, after realizing the backlash from the local community, led the League to visit Pannakkad to ‘cool down’ the situation. The Chief Minister also remarked that if the current leaders of the League had visited the region, they would have faced a much stronger reaction from the party workers.
