Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attends ‘Meet the Press’ event organized by Kannur Press Club on December 9, 2025. | Photo credit: SK MOHAN
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the United Democratic Front (UDF) of trying to legitimize Jamaat-e-Islami for electoral gains and said the front was looking for “new allies” as people distanced themselves from it.
Addressing a ‘Meet the Press’ event organized by the Kannur Press Club on Tuesday (December 9, 2025), he said the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) were trying to project Jamaat-e-Islami positively despite strong opposition from within the Muslim community.
He claimed that the UDF was ready to tie up with organizations that were never part of the mainstream fronts, including those taking “communal extremist positions”. The chief minister said that Jamaat-e-Islami has long been isolated from the Muslim masses due to its own ideological stance and lack of involvement in democratic processes.
He accused the organization of spreading calculated disinformation, much like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to create enmity against the Left. Their campaign, he said, aims to erase the community’s growing acceptance of the left, which emerged from lived experience during a period of majoritarian threats.
Mr. Vijayan said attempts to label the CPI(M) as close to the RSS were baseless and pointed out that more than 200 party workers had lost their lives in attacks on the RSS. He argued that the Left had consistently resisted communal violence and intervened to restore peace unlike the Congress or the UDF.
Referring to past political developments, he criticized the Congress and the IUML for “quiet and open” relations with the BJP, citing the “Kolibi alliance” of 1991 and instances of RSS workers receiving favorable treatment under previous Congress-led governments. He also criticized the behavior of Congress leaders during the Marad conflict, saying it exposed the party’s compromises with the RSS.
Mr. Vijayan said that an official meeting with the Prime Minister and the Union Minister was part of the constitutional responsibility, especially in seeking central support for Kerala’s pressing needs. Such commitments, he said, should be misconstrued as political involvement.
The Chief Minister claimed that the influence of Jamaat-e-Islami in the IUML has increased, which has contributed to targeted propaganda against the Left. He urged the IUML and the Congress to reconsider their ties with communal organizations and warned that such moves could harm the secular fabric of the state and damage their own political future.
He concluded that any attempt to brand the CPI(M) as pro-RSS would fail, adding that such descriptions fit only those who protected the activities of the RSS, withdrew cases against its workers or maintained covert relations with them.
Published – 09 Dec 2025 21:08 IST
