Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala leader P. Mujeeb Rahman has sharply criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of diverting attention from what he described as the CM’s “close ties” and “obedience” to the RSS. Rahman’s response came at a press conference on Tuesday, where he accused Vijayan of spreading “Islamophobia” and endangering Kerala’s social harmony, reports the daily Madhyamam.
The tensions emerged after Vijayan criticised Jamaat-e-Islami during a book launch on political Islam, authored by CPI(M) state committee member P.J. Rajan. Rahman responded by highlighting recent allegations linking RSS members to Kerala state police, specifically mentioning the case of ADGP M.R. Ajit Kumar, who allegedly met with RSS leaders and made remarks concerning Malappuram district.
In response to Vijayan’s claims that Jamaat-e-Islami is attempting to re-establish a caliphate, Rahman questioned CPI(M)’s stance on globally respected caliphs. He invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s admiration for Caliph Umar, the second Caliph in Islamic history, whom Gandhi praised as a model ruler. Rahman went on to challenge Vijayan to an open debate on these issues.
Rahman also pointed out the perceived hypocrisy of the Communist Party in criticising Jamaat’s international connections while maintaining its own links with global fraternal organisations. He argued that such accusations are not in line with the party’s professed values.
