Amid all round condemnation, it is to be seen whether CPI(M) state committee member K. Anilkumar, who stirred a hornet's nest by stating that the women of the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district had ditched 'thattam' (headscarf), due to the influence of the Marxist party, is allowed to go scot-free.
For the past three days, the issue has been raging in the state and to cool things down, CPI(M) state secretary M.V.Govindan outrightly rejected Anilkumar’s statement saying that the choice of clothing is the fundamental right of an individual and the party cannot express its views on it.
Govindan’s statement was followed by Anilkumar’s Facebook post on Tuesday that he will go by the party’s decision.
Despite all this, the issue continues to rage especially with both the Congress and the BJP up in arms against him. All eyes are on the CPI(M) whether they will spare the rod and spoil their equations with the Muslim community which is particularly upset.
Muslims in Kerala account for 26 per cent of the 3.30 crore population and are a force in elections.
With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, chances are that the CPI(M) might take an action against Anilkumar by removing him from the powerful state committee to a lower one.
At the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the minority communities voted for the Congress enabling them to win 19 out of the 20 seats, but at the 2021 elections, the Muslim community in sizeable numbers voted for the ruling CPI(M)-led Left government that turned largely instrumental for Pinarayi Vijayan to retain office, a first of its kind in Kerala.
The coming days will reveal the fate of Anilkumar, whose curt remarks as soon as the Puthuppally assembly by-election was announced against Oommen Chandy who passed away in July, left a scar among the voters there and had an impact too.
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