K T Jaleel, an independent MLA belonging to the ruling LDF, turned the tables on Muslim League, various Islamist organizations and spiritual leaders by asking them to declare that gold smuggling and hawala cash operations were anti-national and anti-Islamic. He further stated that gold smuggling and hawala operations have been monopolized by the Muslim community in the State.

The CPI(M) which was put on the defensive by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s disclosure in the 20th September 2024 press meet that Malappuram district which has 75 per cent Muslim population topped the table in the seizure of smuggled gold and hawala cash transactions and the profit generated out of the operations were diverted to anti-national activities.

This has upset the Muslim cleric and Islamist organizations which had demanded the chief minister to apologize to the Muslim community for the controversial statement.

Jaleel, who was president of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) before he crossed over to the CPI(M) camp took to the social media on Sunday morning and declared that a big majority of people engaged in gold smuggling and hawala operations were from the Muslim community.  “Most of the people engaged in gold smuggling and hawala operations do not believe that they were associated with anti-national activities. The political leaders and clerics do not instruct the faithful that gold smuggling and hawala were acts of sin. If only the clerics come forward and tell the community members that these were un-Islamic acts and should be discontinued forthwith, the Muslims would continue with these activities. We cannot blame other religions if they are indicting us for gold smuggling and hawala transactions,” said Jaleel in his post.