Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 30: Reported “address” to an audience by the former head of Hamas Khaled Mashal to a pro-Palestine rally in Kerala has created a huge political storm with the BJP hitting the left government in the state and the Congress calling it their “shameless appeasement politics.”
Hitting back at comments from Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and the BJP regarding Khaled Mashal’s virtual address at an event in Malappuram on Friday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Monday that the BJP was trying to get cases registered against people just for supporting Palestine, but that those efforts would not work in the state. “This is not going to happen here [in Kerala]. We and our country have always been with the Palestinian people,” Vijayan said.
The BJP has demanded an investigation into Friday’s event, a pro-Palestine rally, organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami’s youth wing, Solidarity Youth Movement addressed virtually by Khaled Mashal. “It is said that a Palestinian fighter had addressed that rally. What I understand is that it was a recorded video. Normally, when Jamaat-e-Islami or any other organisation seeks permission for meetings, police usually give sanction. Such permission was given to this meeting also,” Vijayan said of the event.
“In this meeting, if something happened that should not have taken place, police will examine it and will do the needful,” he said.
Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had criticised what he called the “appeasement politics” of the Congress and the state’s ruling CPI(M). He blamed these parties for Mashal’s address, saying the Hamas leader was invited to “spread hate and call for ‘jihad’ in Kerala.” State BJP chief K Surendran also criticised the Left and Congress over Mashal’s address, and called for a probe into the incident.
The Solidarity Youth Movement, which has launched a campaign to “uproot Hindutva and apartheid Zionism”, also announced the participation via virtual mode of Dr Mohammad Makram Balawi, Director General of the League of Parliamentarians for al-Quds, at another rally in Palakkad.
Mashal’s address also drew a sharp response from Naor Gilon, Israel’s Ambassador to India. In a post on X, Gilon said, “Unbelievable! #HamasTerrorist Khaled Mashal speaks from Qatar in a #Kerala event under the slogan ‘Uproot bulldozer Hindutva & Apartheid Zionism’. Mashal calls participants to: Take the streets and show anger, Prepare for jihad (on Israel), Support Hamas financially and Promote Palestinian narrative on social media. It’s time to add #HamasISIS also to #India’s terror list.”
Chandrasekhar said it was “shameless even by Cong/CPM/UPA/INDI alliance standards to invite Terrorist Hamas to spread hate & call for ‘Jihad’ in Kerala.”
The state BJP Chief said, “Things have reached such a state in secular Kerala. Hamas extremists are participating in programmes in Kerala. He virtually addressed the meeting only because he did not get a visa. The agenda of the organisers is very clear. This should be probed by the Central and state agencies,’’ he said.
Surendran alleged that such meetings and support for Palestine were part of the Left and Congress’s efforts to take a share of the Muslim support base in the wake of the Central government’s ban on the radical Popular Front of India (PFI).
“There is a strong support base for the PFI in the state and both the CPM and the Congress are now trying to get a share of it. That’s the reason behind this support,” he said,
The state has seen marches and conventions being organised to condemn Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip and declare solidarity with Palestinians. Both the LDF and the UDF have been treading cautiously to avoid allegations of appeasement.
In his message to the Malappuram rally Friday, Mashal said, “We should be making all efforts for the Palestine land. These activities are meant to regain Al-Aqsa Mosque. We should make all possible efforts. Together, we will defeat Zionists and we will stand united for Gaza, which is fighting for Al Aqsa. Israel is taking revenge on our residents. Houses are being demolished. They have destroyed more than half of Gaza. They are destroying churches, temples, universities and even UN institutions. What is meant by this attack is the evacuation of Gaza, and they are retaliating against it. Because the fighters in Gaza have defeated them militarily.’’
Rally organiser Solidarity Youth Movement’s state president Suhaib CT said, “In the past also, Hamas leaders had addressed several solidarity conferences in Kerala through video conference. The Palestine cause is being kept alive also because of the unconditional support from the Islamic movements in Kerala.’’
He said when “Hindutva forces are openly standing with Israel” and “making another section (Hamas) terrorists, standing with those so-called terrorists is a fight against Hindutva.”