Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has strongly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his statement regarding the Indian Muslim League party’s secularism, calling it “extremely unfortunate.” Rijiju questioned how the Muslim League, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, could be considered a secular party when it was responsible for India’s partition on religious lines.
Taking to Twitter, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader expressed his disbelief, saying, “Jinnah’s Muslim League is a secular party? The party responsible for India’s partition on religious lines is a secular party? Extremely unfortunate that some people in India still consider the person who supports the Muslim League as Secular!”
The Indian Union Muslim League is an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi, who was previously a Member of Parliament representing Wayanad, responded to a question about the alliance during his interaction at the National Press Club in Washington DC. Gandhi asserted that the Muslim League is a completely secular party and claimed that those who question its secularism have not studied the party adequately.
The BJP has vehemently criticized Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, accusing him of appeasing the electorate in Wayanad, his former constituency. Amit Malviya, a prominent BJP leader, tweeted, “Jinnah’s Muslim League, the party responsible for India’s partition on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a ‘secular’ party. Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here… It is also his compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad.”
Rahul Gandhi’s comment has ignited a political controversy, with the BJP and its supporters arguing that the Muslim League’s historical role in India’s partition contradicts any claim to secularism. Critics assert that Gandhi’s statement reflects his political opportunism and a lack of understanding about the party’s history.
This incident further fuels the ongoing political discourse between the BJP and the Congress party, highlighting ideological differences and disagreements over historical interpretations. The controversy surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s remark is expected to continue as political opponents and commentators debate the true nature of the Indian Muslim League and its place within the country’s secular framework.