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The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has temporarily withdrawn its decision to protest in mosques against the State Government's decision to entrust recruitments in the Kerala State Waqf Board to the Public Service Commission (PSC).
While speaking to reporters, IUML Malappuram President Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal made it clear that the party agrees with Samastha Kerala Jem Iyyathul Ulama decision of not making mosques as a venue of protest against the LDF government's order and said that further action will be taken after discussion with the government on this. Last month, the state government had decided to entrust PSC with the task of recruitment to the Waqf Board. Earlier this week, IUML State General Secretary PMA Salam said that there will be a campaign in mosques on Friday, followed by rallies at the Mahallu level on December 7. This was decided in a meeting which was attended by representatives of various outfits, including Samastha Kerala Jem Iyyathul Ulama, a body of Sunni religious scholars. After it became controversial, Samastha chairman Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal in a meeting at Kozhikode, asked his organisation workers to withdraw from the decision. He also said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called him and assured him about discussing the dissent on this issue. He further said, ''We can protest in Mosques too when issues come. But now the decision has made a controversy. Somebody has politicised the issue. So, being Mosques are sacred places, we have to withdraw ourselves from provocative decisions". After this, IUML too withdrew from the decision and decided to go with the Samastha. Yesterday, the CPI(M) State Secretariat issued a statement on IUML's move to protest in mosques, "This will lead to communal polarisation. This has proved the narrow communal agenda of IUML. Regarding appointment to Waqf Board, the Chief Minister had already convened a meeting of Muslim organisations and ensured the decision will be implemented only after allaying fears of the community." CPIM State Acting Secretary A Vijayaraghavan also said to the media that nobody should destroy the pluralism of society. And he also made it clear that the State Government will hold talks with everyone on this issue. Apart from the decision related to the Waqf board, there are some other decisions of the State Government that also provoked the IUML and Samastha to go for protests. Meanwhile, Kerala Congress President K Sudhakaran warned of protest if the decision is not withdrawn. (ANI)
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