The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has distanced itself from its state general secretary PMA Salam’s inflammatory comments targeting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
IUML state president Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal on Sunday said in Malappuram that party members should refrain from making personal insults. “The Opposition can pinpoint the government’s lapses; can criticize politically. However, it should not stoop to the level of personal insult. Insulting individuals is not the policy of the party. Everyone should be careful in such matters,” he added.
Meanwhile, senior IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty came to Salam’s defence, describing the remark as a “slip of the tongue”. “Everyone can make such slips. The party president will resolve the issues,” he said
At a public meeting at Vazhakkad in the Malappuram district on Saturday, PMA Salam made derogatory remarks by comparing CM Vijayan unfavourably to the chief ministers of West Bengal and using offensive language to describe him.
“Chief Minister Mamata ji said even if the Centre gives Rs 10,000 crore, she would not allow such communal poison into West Bengal,” Salam said, alleging that the New Education Policy teaches distorted and false history and sidelines languages such as Arabic, Urdu, and English.
“Meanwhile, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty reacted sharply to the IUML leader’s remarks against the chief minister. Stating that the remarks of Salam are an affront to the cultural values of Kerala, Sivankutty said such inhumane and undemocratic comments should never come from a leader holding a senior position in a political organisation.