Malappuram, June 24: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has launched a scathing attack on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, holding him responsible for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
In an editorial published on Sunday, the IUML’s mouthpiece, Chandrika, dubbed Mr. Vijayan as “Modi in dhoti,” in apparent retaliation for his recent remarks against the Muslim League, where he claimed the IUML had lost its credibility. The editorial accused the Chief Minister of ignoring the reasons behind his party’s electoral defeat.
“Instead of acknowledging his own loss of face, Mr. Vijayan is trying to divert attention by criticizing other parties,” the editorial stated. It suggested that the Chief Minister and his public relations team have failed to grasp the reasons for the CPI(M)’s setback, a failure that both the national and state leaderships of the party attribute to the government’s shortcomings.
The editorial also accused Mr. Vijayan of emulating the tactics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by attempting to redraw civic body wards to favor the CPI(M). Furthermore, it criticized the Chief Minister for not recognizing the role of SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan in shifting Ezhava votes towards the Sangh Parivar.
“Mr. Vijayan believes that by attacking the Muslim League, he will distract his comrades from the party’s failures. Despite his efforts to win over the Muslim League and some sections of the Muslim community, he has not learned his lesson,” the editorial concluded.
