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IUML to back UPA government

MALAPPURAM: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has indicated that it will continue supporting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre in the wake of the Left parties deciding to withdraw their support over the issue of the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.

Although the party will officially declare its stand only after a meeting of national leaders at Panakkad, near here, on Thursday, its State leadership made it clear that the party would not support the Left.

“The Left’s stand will not be binding on us. The Left’s line is never the final word in minority interests. Many a time the Left has worked against minority interests. And many a time have the Left’s policies turned beneficial for the BJP… At any cost, BJP should not be allowed to come to power,” said P.K. Kunhalikutty, IUML State general secretary.

Addressing the media in his house at Panakkad on Tuesday, Mr. Kunhalikutty said that there were only two equations in the national politics — either going with the Congress or with the BJP. He said that the Left, by deciding to vote with the BJP against the Congress in Parliament, had proved its dishonesty.

He said that parties such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK), the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which had taken a better and favourable stance on minority issues, had chosen to back the Congress.

The IUML had neither supported nor opposed the nuclear deal. The party’s national council held in Chennai had made it clear that the party’s concern was not about the nuclear deal, but about whether the deal would turn detrimental to the neutral foreign policy followed by the country.

The IUML was of the view that India should be wary of making any deal with America, which, its leadership believed, had been targeting Muslims across the world in the name of terrorism.

“We should discuss our concerns only with the Congress … and not with the Left or the BJP,” Mr. Kunhalikutty said. He said the BJP would implement the nuclear deal in a more forceful and detrimental way.

Mr. Kunhalikutty said that the Left, with 60-odd MPs, should have shown honesty by exerting more influence on the Congress to convince it of the flipside of the nuclear deal.

He accused the Left of indirectly helping the BJP.

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