P.P. Shaijal, who regained his position as State vice president of the Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF) following a recent court order, has alleged that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is in the clutches of a group of three, who have been manipulating the party based on their whims and fancies.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, the student leader alleged that everyone who ever supported the sexual harassment charges pressed by former leaders of Haritha, the women’s wing of MSF, against its president P.K. Navas, were being targeted by the party leadership and were being expelled one by one.
“They want only their puppets in the party leadership, be it in MSF, Youth League, or IUML itself. Leaders with credibility, qualifications, and public approval are not accommodated and are frozen in unimportant positions,” he said, clearly naming IUML Malappuram district president Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, P.K. Kunhalikkutty, MLA, and acting State secretary P.M.A. Salam as the “trio” and claimed that the party was on the path of destruction under them.
‘Personal interests’
“The Muslim League had a culture of solving every issue based on the decisions of its State president. But at present, the trio is blocking any one from reaching the State president,” he said, adding that they had been letting the party rot only to protect their personal interests. “K.P.A. Majeed was elected State secretary eight months ago. But he has not been allowed to take charge only because the acting secretary, who should not have been in power for more than three months, is not stepping down,” Mr. Shaijal said.
He added that the issue began with Haritha, when a teacher was appointed as the Malappuram district president of the women’s wing, which was questioned by members of the student body. When Haritha leaders were verbally abused, several leaders of the MSF spoke up in favour of girls, all of whom are allegedly on the radar.
Mr. Shaijal also criticised the Congress leadership for not speaking up for the wronged Haritha leadership. “Whenever there is an issue in the Congress, the Muslim League, as another constituent of the UDF, serves a notice citing that the slip-up will back fire on the UDF. But when a severe issue happened in the Muslim League, none of the Congress leaders raised a finger,” he said, alleging that the Congress leadership was scared of the Muslim League leadership.
Mr. Shaijal, who was expelled from the party recently, had approached court maintaining that the expulsion was against the constitution of the party. The court cancelled his expulsion earlier this month. “This is not a personal fight. It is one for the survival of the party, which is in wrong hands,” Mr. Shaijal said.
