Kamarunnisa Anwar, Kerala chief of Women’s league, the women’s wing of the Indian Union Muslim league, has irked her party’s leadership by lavishing praise on the BJP with a statement that it was a party capable of doing good for the people and for the development of the State.
“BJP is a party that is growing fast in Kerala and outside. I expect it to work for the growth of the country. I wish them all success in this work for the betterment of the people,” Anwar, also chairperson of the Social Welfare Board, said after making her contribution to the BJP fund in Tirur, Malappuram.
She made her contribution by handing over Rs 2,000 to KP Pradeep Kumar, Tirur Mandalam president of the BJP. The party’s State committee member AK Devidasan and OBC Morcha’s district president Manoj Parassery were present on the occasion. Pradeep Kumar said Anwar’s contribution would give a new energy to the exercise.
Though Anwar claimed that she had made the contribution to the BJP with the permission of her party, the Muslim league leadership said she was not supposed to take part in a function and speak in a way as reported in the media. Muslim league sources said Anwar was most likely to face organisational action, sources said.
“I had consulted with the leadership. ET Muhammad Basher had told me there was nothing wrong in making a contribution to another party. Also, I participated in that function as a social worker,” Kamarunnisa claimed but the Muslim league leadership has effectively rejected the explanation.
The leadership responded by saying that Kamarunnisa could make a contribution to any party but it was inappropriate to take part in a BJP function and make a statement praising that party. It is said that Kamarunnisa has pushed herself into the controversy at a time when she is not in the good books of the party’s allegedly male-dominated leadership.
Muslim league leaders like national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty made it clear that the party would discuss the issue. “It is a very serious matter and we will certainly discuss it. It is very serious if she has made the statement that has been reported in the media,” Kunhalikutty told newsmen.
Former Minister and Muslim league’s leader in the State Assembly MK Muneer was quoted as saying that his party would seek an explanation from Kamarunnisa for her statement praising the BJP. “We are a party which along with other secular forces is fighting against the communal and fascist agenda of the BJP,” Muneer said.
The Muslim league could not accept her statement and what she said was not right and not in tune with the party’s policy, he said. Anwar had courted controversy earlier by criticising the leadership for not fielding any woman candidate in the last Assembly election. She herself had expressed the desire to contest the Assembly polls.
A very senior Muslim league leader said that Anwar had failed to take required caution before speaking at a BJP function.
“It is all right to make a contribution. Nobody says no when workers of other parties knock on your door for donations. But to praise a party like BJP for its work is not something expected from a senior leader,” he said.