Kerala MLA’s charges against Pinarayi govt spread to Malappuram district, get IUML support

However, the support for Anvar’s allegations continues to grow, including his claims now that there are “Sangh Parivar elements in the Kerala Police”, particularly in Malappuram district. On Friday, at least two leaders from within the Left rank and Congress ally IUML backed Anvar’s claims, with the IUML seeking reinvestigation of all recent cases registered in the district.

While Anvar has earlier made accusations against Vijayan’s political secretary P Sasi as well as ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, his latest charge is that the LDF government’s Home Ministry has denied justice to the minority community in Malappuram.

The Home portfolio is held by Vijayan, while Anvar’s constituency Nilambur falls under Malappuram district. Ironically, Anvar, once a Congress leader, was recruited by the CPI(M) in 2016 to fill the lacuna of Muslim faces in its ranks in minority-dominated Malappuram.

Nilambur incidentally is part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat which is up for a by-election.

Anvar’s anti-minority charge against the Vijayan government coincides with the CPI(M)’s push to attract the Muslim vote, which has been apprehensive about the BJP’s rise in the state and saw the Congress as too weak to fight back. It also comes amidst Anvar’s claims of a CPI(M) hand – specifically ADGP Ajith’s – in the Thrissur Pooram festival fireworks row ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, allegedly to help the BJP win its first ever parliamentary election in Kerala.

On Friday, IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said: “The functioning of police in Malappuram has been mysterious. People are discussing a lot of cases. The approach of the police was to nab anyone as a drug peddler, kill and slap a case. Allegations against top police officials in key posts should be probed.”

Another CPI(M)-backed MLA, K T Jaleel, who is also a major link between the party and Muslims, said: “The saffronisation of the police is a fact, and I had discussed the matter with Anvar. The allegations raised against the ADGP are serious. Many officials are affiliated with the BJP. I will make my stand clear on October 2.”

A minister in the previous Vijayan government, Jaleel had recently called former Malappuram SP Sujith Das, who was suspended earlier this month, and incumbent Sasidharan, who was transferred out two weeks back, as “Sangh Parivar men” implicating innocent minorities in criminal cases.

He alleged that by registering a number of petty cases in the last three years, Das had brought “ignominy” to Malappuram as the district with the highest number of criminal cases.

Niyas Pulikkalakath, a Muslim face of the CPI in Malappuram, also backed Anvar. In a Facebook post, Niyas, who contested as a Left candidate in the 2021 Assembly elections, said: “Those who compromise for vested interests are not only betraying their organisation, (but) also the hope and dream of secular democratic people in the state.’’

At a press conference last week, the CM had suggested that Anvar was lashing out as the police had refused to do his bidding in Malappuram. “It is the duty of the police to strongly deal with smuggling and hawala. There is no question of the police retreating from action against smugglers… Sasi is not there to act upon all the complaints from Anvar or others. Action will be taken only as per law,’’ said Vijayan.

Anvar has claimed that ADGP Ajith was involved in gold smuggling racket in the state.

On Friday, Govindan said it was absolutely wrong to accuse the CPI(M) and Vijayan, “who is known for opposing the Sangh Parivar agenda”, of a nexus with the Sangh. “In the last elections, there was a campaign that the Left was appeasing the minorities. Now, certain people are saying that the party has compromised with Hindutva politics. Such people may have been swayed by the perspective of the religious political system, which wants to shatter secular politics.”