Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is in the United States called the Indian Union Muslim League a ‘secular’ party inviting the scorn of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) members, and inciting a spat between rivals Congress and the saffron party. Congress took to historical precedents and fact check to hit back at BJP in their criticism of the former MP of Wayanad and his remarks.
Here’s taking a look at the controversy
Rahul Gandhi calls Muslim League ‘secular’
On a tour to the US, Gandhi told reporters in Washington that the Muslim League is a completely secular party and there is nothing non-secular about it. He was answering a question about his party’ alliance with the regional party in Kerala.
The Indian Union Muslim League, is an ally of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi represented Wayanad in the Lok Sabha before being disqualified from Parliament.
How BJP reacted
Amit Malviya calls Rahul Gandhi ‘disingenuous and sinister’
BJP I-T department head Amit Malviya said, “Jinnah’s Muslim League, the party responsible for India’s partition, on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a ‘secular’ party. Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here. It is also his compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad.”
Kiran Rijiju echoes Malviya
Taking to Twitter, BJP leader Kiren Rijiju and former union minister of Law said, “Jinnah’s Muslim League is a secular party? The party responsible for India’s partition on religious lines is a secular party? Extremely unfortunate that some people in India still consider the person who supports the Muslim League as Secular!”
Anurag Thakur says ‘Rahul Gandhi sees Hindu terrorism but feels Muslim League is secular’
“These are the same people who had stayed back after partition. They formed the Muslim League here after partition and became MPs. They advocated for Sharia law, wanted separate seats reserved for Muslims. They are the same people who are part of the same Muslim League. It is Rahul Gandhi and the Congress that sees Hindu terrorism but feels Muslim League is secular,” Union minister Anurag Thakur said.
Sudhanshu Trivedi links IUML to Jinnah’s Muslim League
BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed a link between the regional party and Jinnah’s outfit, which allegedly spearheaded the partition stir among Muslims. He noted that Jinnah’s party had swept the pre-Independence provincial polls in Madras presidency, of which today’s Kerala was then a part.
Congress hits back at BJP with facts
The Congress on Friday hit back at the BJP over its criticism of Rahul Gandhi for calling the Indian Union Muslim League “completely secular”.
Grand old party invokes Advani’s ‘praise’ for Jinnah
Congress said that the party Rahul Gandhi referred to was different from the Muslim League, for which the BJP has “more love” and whose leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah was hailed by L K Advani.
Congress retorts with history
The Opposition party also said that it would like to remind the BJP that Hindu Mahasabha president Shyama Prasad Mookerjee aligned with Jinnah’s Muslim League to form the government in Bengal during the British rule.
In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Shyama Prasad Mookerjee was in league with the Muslim League in the government in Bengal when (Mahatma) Gandhiji launched Quit India movement. SPM was singularly responsible for the partition of Bengal.”
Congress points out misunderstanding by Amit Malviya
Congress leader Amitabh Dubey slammed BJP IT department head Amit Malviya for his criticism of Gandhi, saying “You’re confusing the Kerala-based IUML he is talking about with Jinnah’s Muslim League that took Savarkar’s two-nation theory to its logical conclusion.”
“The same Muslim League with whom BJP founder SP Mukherjee and Hindu Mahasabha formed coalition governments in Bengal, Sind, NWFP (North-West Frontier Province),” Dubey said.
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Updated: 02 Jun 2023, 07:08 PM IST