Hamas at Kerala rally: BJP calls for probe, Israel envoy wants it in India’s terror list

Mashal’s address also drew a sharp response from Naor Gilon, Israel’s Ambassador to India. In a post on X, Gilon said, “Unbelievable! #HamasTerrorist Khaled Mashal speaks from Qatar in a #Kerala event under the slogan ‘Uproot bulldozer Hindutva & Apartheid Zionism’. Mashal calls participants to: 1. Take the streets and show anger. 2. Prepare for jihad (on Israel). 3. Support Hamas financially. 4. Promote Palestinian narrative on social media. It’s time to add #HamasISIS also to #India’s terror list.”

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed what he called “appeasement politics” of the Congress and CPM and said it was “shameless even by Cong/CPM/UPA/INDI alliance standards to invite Terrorist Hamas to spread hate & call for ‘Jihad’ in Kerala”.

Quoting former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he said, “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours. You know, eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.”

State BJP chief K Surendran also criticised the Left and Congress over Mashal’s address to the rally in Malappuram.

“We have seen conventions and programmes that Hamas leaders virtually attend in this state. Another meeting also had a virtual address by Hamas leaders,” Surendran told The Indian Express.

“Things have reached such a state in secular Kerala. Hamas extremists are participating in programmes in Kerala. He virtually addressed the meeting only because he did not get a visa. The agenda of the organisers is very clear. This should be probed by the Central and state agencies,’’ he said.

Surendran alleged that such meetings and support for Palestine were part of the Left and Congress’s efforts to take a share of the Muslim support base in the wake of the Central government’s ban on the radical Popular Front of India (PFI).

“There is a strong support base for the PFI in the state and both the CPM and the Congress are now trying to get a share of it. That’s the reason behind this support,” he said,

The heat of the Israel-Hamas conflict is being felt in Kerala where the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the two major political alliances, have traditionally backed the Palestinian cause.

The state has seen marches and conventions being organised to condemn Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip and declare solidarity with Palestinians. Both the LDF and the UDF have been treading cautiously to avoid allegations of appeasement.

In his message to the Malappuram rally Friday, Mashal said, “We should be making all efforts for the Palestine land. These activities are meant to regain Al-Aqsa Mosque. We should make all possible efforts. Together, we will defeat Zionists and we will stand united for Gaza, which is fighting for Al Aqsa. Israel is taking revenge on our residents. Houses are being demolished. They have destroyed more than half of Gaza. They are destroying churches, temples, universities and even UN institutions. What is meant by this attack is the evacuation of Gaza, and they are retaliating against it. Because the fighters in Gaza have defeated them militarily.’’

Rally organiser Solidarity Youth Movement’s state president Suhaib CT said, “In the past also, Hamas leaders had addressed several solidarity conferences in Kerala through video conference. The Palestine cause is being kept alive also because of the unconditional support from the Islamic movements in Kerala.’’

He said when “Hindutva forces are openly standing with Israel” and “making another section (Hamas) terrorists, standing with those so-called terrorists is a fight against Hindutva”.