Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 7 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly (LoP), V.D. Satheesan, has fiercely criticized senior CPI(M) figure and Central Committee member A.K. Balan. He accused Balan of engaging in a Sangh Parivar-inspired communal campaign through his recent comments that connected Jamaat-e-Islami to a potential UDF administration.

Satheesan asserted that Balan's claim that Jamaat-e-Islami would oversee the Home Department if the UDF were to come to power was not merely a political statement but part of a broader, perilous narrative aimed at promoting communal polarization.

He contended that this remark reflects the hardline propaganda methods typically utilized by the Sangh Parivar throughout India to instill fear among majority communities and to fracture society along religious lines.

In drawing comparisons to previous political strategies, Satheesan recalled that the BJP had once adopted similar tactics during the Gujarat Assembly elections by asserting that Ahmed Patel would be the Chief Minister if Congress was victorious.

“The goal then, as it is now, was to generate anti-Muslim sentiment and incite divisions among communities for electoral advantage,” he noted.

Questioning the validity of Balan's assertion, the Opposition leader highlighted that Jamaat-e-Islami had allied with the Left for almost four decades previously, yet had never taken control of the Home Department during that timeframe.

He accused the CPI(M) of intentionally mimicking the Sangh Parivar's approach to foster communal unrest, labeling Balan's remark as “even worse than the tactics used by the BJP in Gujarat.”

Satheesan further claimed that Balan's statement was made with the full endorsement of CPI(M) leadership, a point that became clear when comparing it to similar remarks recently made by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan.

He raised questions within the Left faction, asking whether CPI leader Binoy Viswam, who had previously criticized Vellappally's statements, would now also back Balan's remarks.

Satheesan also noted that CPI(M) leaders had previously launched vigorous attacks on Binoy Viswam for opposing Vellappally, reflecting increasing internal contradictions within the Left Democratic Front.

According to Satheesan, the CPI(M)’s adoption of a divisive campaign during a time when the Left front is displaying signs of strain could further undermine its secular image.

Expressing confidence in Kerala's electorate, Satheesan stated that the politically aware public in the state would resist and counter what he termed a hate-driven campaign by CPI(M) leaders.

Meanwhile, prominent Jamaat-e-Islami leaders have called on the CPI-M leadership to retract such unfounded statements, as they pose a serious threat to the state's overall welfare.