Mon Nov 18 05:45:50 UTC 2024: ## Kerala’s Ruling Party Accused of Smear Campaign Against IUML Leader Ahead of By-election

**Thiruvananthapuram, November 18, 2024** – The Kerala political scene is heating up as the Palakkad Assembly by-election draws near. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recent attacks on Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal have sparked a furious backlash from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

Vijayan, in a campaign speech, questioned Thangal’s secular credentials, alleging a shift towards the ideology of the Jamaat-e-Islami and a departure from the secular legacy of his late brother. He also suggested dissatisfaction within IUML ranks regarding the party’s purported drift from its historical stance.

The IUML responded with a strongly worded editorial in its mouthpiece, *Chandrika*, vehemently rejecting Vijayan’s accusations. The editorial accused Vijayan of hypocrisy, citing his alleged inaction against a high-ranking officer suspected of stoking Hindu majoritarian sentiment before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and his handling of the sensitive Munambam land dispute. The editorial highlighted the Panakkad family’s history of promoting communal harmony, contrasting it with Vijayan’s actions. They also welcomed the recent shift of BJP leader Sandeep Varier to the UDF.

UDF leaders echoed the IUML’s condemnation. Muslim Youth League (MYL) State president K.M. Shaji accused Vijayan of adopting a “Sangh Parivar viewpoint,” suggesting a secret alliance between the CPI(M) and BJP to undermine the UDF. UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil called Vijayan’s remarks a personal attack and accused the CPI(M) of becoming a tool for the Sangh Parivar.

However, the CPI(M) countered that Vijayan’s statements were merely political criticism and that the IUML’s portrayal of them as a personal attack was misleading. They reiterated past concerns about the IUML’s secular credentials.

The Palakkad by-election is scheduled for November 20th, with this escalating controversy shaping up to be a key factor in the election’s outcome.

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