AFTER one of its leaders warned ally Congress against falling into “the BJP trap” over invitation to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, the IUML on Friday said that while it did not want to advise other parties on the issue, everyone should understand the BJP's “agenda”. “The IUML gives extreme respect to the Hindu community’s faith and freedom of worship. But the BJP is converting the ceremony into inauguration of its campaign for the coming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is using the event for political gains and everyone should understand it,” the IUML said, following a meeting of its political advisory committee in Kozhikode. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and its Leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have been invited by the temple trust for the ceremony. A close IUML affiliate had earlier questioned the fact that the Congress was non-committal on the issue. After the party meeting, IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said: “Every place of worship has its own significance and sacredness. In that respect, the IUML is with the faithful. But the party cannot agree with the BJP converting it into a political agenda.” The IUML was approaching the issue with “prudence”, Thangal said. “All secular parties should be able to stand united in politically handling the issue, upholding secular and constitutional values. The faithful should also recognise the BJP agenda, of making religious belief a cover for power. Political debates should hinge upon peoples’ issues such as hunger and unemployment,” he said. Senior legislator and party general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said the IUML would not comment on the stand to be adopted by other parties. “Regarding the Congress, they have the leadership to take a stand on the issue. We need not comment on it. They would have to analyse various issues at the national level. But, the use of this issue of worship for a political agenda. (this) should be (understood) by everyone. At this stage, we will not comment on the stand of other parties on this sensitive issue,’’ he said. Days back, the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (SAMASTHA), seen as the backbone of the IUML, had attacked the Congress ambivalence over attending the ceremony. SAMASTHA mouthpiece Suprabhaatham, in its editorial, had stated: “The Congress stand that the party can attend the ceremony is only meant to prevent depletion of Hindu votes in North India. It is the soft Hindutva approach of the Congress that has taken the party, which ruled the country for 36 years, to the present situation.’’ Several Congress leaders from Kerala have individually come out against the party attending the Ayodhya event, sensing the political fallout in the state. At a time when the IUML is being wooed by the CPI(M) too, SAMASTHA has appreciated the Left stand not to attend. Meanwhile, the BJP is relishing the predicament of the Congress, which cannot take a resolve such as the CPI(M) given its North India vote bank. On Friday, Kerala BJP president K Surendran said the Congress was “insulting” the majority Hindu community by not clarifying its stand on the Ram Temple invite. “Congress leaders in Kerala are threatening their party’s national leadership. Congress leaders M V Sudheeran and K Muraleedharan (who wanted the party to keep away from the event) should stop insulting the community,” Surendran said, adding that the same Congress which was “insulting Ram bhakts” had earlier held rallies in Kerala for “Hamas terrorists”.
