BJP slams Cong for pact with Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala bypolls, calls it 'double standards'
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Kerala State President of the BJP and former Union Minister while addressing the media, traced the controversial history of Jamaat-e-Islami, saying that it has openly advocated for the implementation of Sharia law in India and rejected the core principles of democracy and secularism.
In support of his claims, the BJP leader referred to a 2018 statement by Congress's former Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, who had referred to Jamaat-e-Islami as 'dangerous and anti-national.'
Chandrasekhar accused Congress of double standards, saying, 'On one hand, leaders like Rahul Gandhi often parade the Constitution, symbolising their commitment to secularism, while on the other, they forge alliances with radical and anti-national groups like Jamaat-e-Islami.'
He emphasised that the Congress had allied with Jamaat-e-Islami in the recent Nilambur by-election, a seat that falls within the Wayanad parliamentary constituency once represented by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Congress won the seat in the bypolls, which marked the first time they officially acknowledged their alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami.
'This is the true face of Congress politics: Constitution in one hand, secularism on the lips, and a dangerous partnership with Jamaat-e-Islami in their pursuit of power,' said Chandrasekhar.
The BJP leader accused Congress of indulging in a 'politics of appeasement,' particularly Muslim appeasement, which he argued had been the party's central strategy for decades. He noted that while the Congress had historically relied on Jamaat-e-Islami for support in Kerala, these alliances were previously kept under wraps.
'Now, under pressure from Jamaat-e-Islami, Congress has openly acknowledged the alliance,' he remarked.
Mujeeb Rahman, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, had recently acknowledged that the BJP was the only party in India that had never sought support from the radical group, while other parties, including Congress, Left, and RJD, had consistently done so, Chandrasekhar added.
Shifting the focus to national security, Chandrasekhar recalled instances where, it said, Congress had distorted facts and undermined the nation's security interests. He pointed to the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, accusing Congress of suggesting that the RSS was behind the attacks instead of Pakistani terrorists. He also referenced the Batla House encounter, where Sonia Gandhi had defended the terrorists.
Chandrasekhar also condemned Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan for calling a Hamas leader who attempted to radicalize children in Kerala a 'freedom fighter.' He likened this language to that used by Pakistan to justify terrorism.
In his closing remarks, the BJP leader accused Congress of abandoning any meaningful dialogue on development, governance, or economic issues.
Instead, he argued, the party has increasingly resorted to religious appeasement in a desperate bid to regain political relevance. He pointed to the party's failures in states like Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, where it has struggled to address key issues of governance.
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