The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has alleged that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government is behaving vindictively against the Muslim community ever since it came to power in the State.
“We suspect that a special cell is functioning at the AKG Centre with the objective of harassing the Muslim community,” IUML State general secretary P.M.A. Salam said while addressing the media here on Saturday.
Mr. Salam said it was still not clear why the Government was displaying an antagonistic stand toward the community. “Before coming back to power, they had promised to drop all cases in connection with the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act. But they changed their stand after assuming power,” he said.
The IUML leader said the LDF was following an anti-Muslim stand even after coming back to power by garnering the community’s votes. Mr. Salam accused the LDF of double standards in matters concerning the Waqf Board and Devaswom Board.
When the Waqf Board appointments were left to the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Devaswom Board appointments were made through a recruitment board.
“This shows the CPI(M)’s double standard,” he said.
He demanded that the government make clear why a special recruitment agency was not being made for the Waqf Board. “The Waqf Board appointments are also likely to be handled like the way the LDF treated the minority scholarships.”
He challenged the Government argument that the Waqf Board would give appointments to only Muslims. “How can an agency like the PSC consider only Muslims while functioning in a secular environment? If someone goes to court challenging it, all communities will have to be considered.”
Mr. Salam said the IUML would move legally against the Government decision to leave Waqf Board appointments to the PSC. A meeting of Muslim organisations would be convened before initiating the legal proceedings.
Mr. Salam questioned the wisdom of the Government in hurrying with the Waqf Board Appointment Bill. “We saw the Government’s shameless play in the Mullaperiyar tree felling issue. When there are other issues of utmost urgency, the Government is showing an undue haste in the Waqf Board matter. They are trying to shame the Sangh Parivar in their anti-Muslim stand,” he said.
