Priyanka Gandhi fighting bypoll with Jamaat-e-Islami support: Pinarayi Vijayan

As politics heats up in Kerala’s Wayanad ahead of the Lok Sabha bypoll, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday alleged that Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is contesting the seat with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami, a political Islamist organisation.
Vijayan, in a Facebook post, claimed that the Wayanad by-election has “exposed the Congress party’s secular mask completely.”
“Priyanka Gandhi is running as a candidate there with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. So, what exactly is Congress’s stance? Our country is not unfamiliar with Jamaat-e-Islami. Does that organization’s ideology align with democratic values?” he asked.
The Chief Minister’s comment came days after the Welfare Party, a political outfit linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, extended its support to Priyanka Gandhi, who is contesting against CPI(M)’s Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas.
“Jamaat does not see the country or its democracy as important. The country’s governance is not taken into account. Forming a welfare party and functioning as a political party is a cover,” the CPI(M) leader said.
Referring to the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Vijayan alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami planned to contest three or four seats there, but the goal was to defeat CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.
“The BJP shared this objective. However, despite this alliance of extremists and the BJP, the people chose Tarigami,” Vijayan said.
Continuing his attack, he asserted, “The Jamaat-e-Islami here are saying that the Jamaat-e-Islami there and here are different. Jamaat-e-Islami has only one policy. They do not accept any form of democratic governance. That is their ideology. Now they seem to want to help the UDF.”
Vijayan asked, “Shouldn’t those who stand for secularism oppose all forms of sectarianism? Will Congress be able to say no to Jamaat-e-Islami’s vote?”
The Wayanad by-election, necessitated after Rahul Gandhi chose his alternative seat Amethi, will be held on November 13.