During a press conference in Washington DC, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a question regarding the party’s alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala. The leader said that the Muslim League is a completely secular party, stressing that there is no element of non-secularism associated with them.
He said, “The Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League.” secular.”
Thakur also said that Gandhi should apologize to the country for “insulting India on the international stage”.
Amidst the developments, let’s take a look at the IUML party, its alliance with Congress and other factors:
History of IUML
according to a reports By Indian ExpressAfter the Partition of India, the All India Muslim League disbanded, leading to the formation of various factions. In West Pakistan, the party transformed into the Muslim League, while in East Pakistan, it became the All Pakistan Awami Muslim League.
Pakistan’s earliest prime ministers were from the Muslim League, but the party was disbanded under the martial law regime of General Ayub Khan. Ayub later revived it as the Pakistan Muslim League, which underwent various splits, reunions, dissolutions and reorganizations. The faction led by Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif is the most prominent today.
In East Pakistan, the Awami Muslim League advocated Bengali nationalism and aimed for an independent path away from the domination of West Pakistan. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, East Pakistan eventually gained independence as Bangladesh.
In independent India, the All India Muslim League was succeeded by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which reportedly followed a different trajectory.
The IUML participated in elections under the Indian Constitution and maintained a consistent, albeit small, presence in the Lok Sabha. IUML is strongest in Kerala and has presence in Tamil Nadu as well. It is recognized as a state party in Kerala by the Election Commission of India.
The flag of the IUML differs from the flag of Pakistan in having a white crescent and star in the upper-left corner of a rectangular green field, which differs from the flag of Pakistan with a broad white stripe next to a square green patch , where the large crescent and star are centered.
Congress and IUML History
The IUML and the Indian National Congress (INC) have formed an old alliance known as the UDF in Kerala politics. The alliance, which has been in power for most of the period since 1977, aims to counter the dominance of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) in the state, according to a free press journal reports,
IUML, a Muslim-majority party founded in 1947, and INC, a secular party founded in 1885, to appeal to a wide variety of voters in Kerala, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus, upper castes, and even Dalits have joined the army. who traditionally support the CPI(M).
The success of the UDF in Kerala politics can be attributed to factors such as the strong leadership of the IUML and the INC, their ability to attract a wide voter base, and the failure of the CPI(M) to address the concerns of the people.
The UDF’s alliance with the IUML has faced criticism for its alleged appeasement of Muslims, but it has also been recognized for promoting secularism and communal harmony in Kerala, the report said.