The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership has decided to put a lid on the controversy over its former legislator and senior leader K.N.A. Khader participating in ‘Sneha Bodhi’, an event organised by RSS-affiliated Kesari weekly, in Kozhikode.
Sources said the party leadership, which had already sought an explanation from Mr. Khader, would let him off with a caution. His attendance in the programme on Tuesday sparked off a controversy with senior leader M.K. Muneer, MLA, publicly denouncing his act.
However, IUML State president Panakkad Sadiqali Shihab Thangal had stated that party members should exercise vigil while attending such programmes just because someone invited them.
It is learnt that Mr. Khader had given a clarification to the party on the circumstances in which he had participated in the programme and regretted if his act had caused convenience and put the party in a spot. He had already clarified that politically he was an IUML worker and by religion a follower of Islam and that he cannot hate people of other religions.
Mr. Khader had offered felicitations at the cultural conference held at Kesari Bhavan, the media studies and research centre. RSS ideologue J. Nandakumar had also honoured Mr. Khader at the function.
As controversy erupted, Mr. Khader later denied that he had participated in the event organised by the RSS. Scriptwriter Renji Panicker had unveiled a statue at the centre.
Reacting to the episode, BJP national vice president A. P. Abdullakutty said Mr. Khader was an important figure in national politics and termed the controversy “unnecessary.” BJP State general secretary M.T. Ramesh said that the IUML leadership was scared of interfaith dialogues if the party was determined to take action against Mr. Khader.
Meanwhile, the Thangal expressed severe disapproval of the statement of IUML legislator P.K. Basheer making fun of the dark complexion of CPI(M) MLA and former Minister for Electricity M.M. Mani at a public event in Wayanad. Mr. Basheer was making the racist remark in the wake of the recent controversy over people wearing black clothes or masks.
