'This Is The Muslim League With Which BJP Allied': Congress Hits Back In Row Over Rahul Gandhi's Remark

“Don't know the difference between Kerala's Muslim League and Jinnah's Muslim League? Jinnah's Muslim League is the one with which your forefathers allied,” Khera said.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi.

A fresh conflict between BJP and Congress occurred on Friday when Rahul Gandhi characterized Muslim League, a political collaborator of Congress Party for a long time in Kerala, as a completely non-partisan and non-religious entity.

The crucial moment emerged when Rahul Gandhi made comments while conversing with journalists at the National Press Club located in Washington DC. In the context of the Congress' stance on secularism and opposition to the BJP's Hindutva agenda, a journalist questioned Rahul Gandhi about the party's partnership with the Muslim League in Kerala.

Responding to the question, Rahul Gandhi said: "Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about them. I think the person (reporter) hasn't studied the Muslim League," as quoted by ANI.

The BJP seized the opportunity to criticize Gandhi's "dishonest and malicious" comment. It was claimed that he referred to the Muslim League as a 'secular party' because he felt compelled to maintain his reputation in Wayanad, his previous constituency in the Lok Sabha.

Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, BJP I-T Cell Chief Amit Malviya 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."

It should be noted that the Muslim League headed by Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) established in Kerala are completely separate and without any connection to each other. The IUML has long been a supportive partner of the UDF, which is headed by the Congress party, in the state of Kerala.

While maintaining the same differentiation, Congress leader Pawan Khera responded strongly with counter-accusations to the BJP's allegations. “Are you illiterate? Don't know the difference between Kerala's Muslim League and Jinnah's Muslim League? Jinnah's Muslim League is the one with which your forefathers allied. The second Muslim League is the one with which the BJP had an alliance,” Khera tweeted. 

अनपढ़ हो भाई?
केरल की मुस्लिम लीग और जिन्ना की मुस्लिम लीग में फ़र्क़ नहीं मालूम?
जिन्ना वाली मुस्लिम लीग वो जिस के साथ तुम्हारे पूर्वजों ने गठबंधन किया।
दूसरी वाली मुस्लिम लीग वो, जिसके साथ भाजपा ने गठबंधन किया था : https://t.co/IYdznQeS5Y https://t.co/Hiph3cRSAo

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) June 1, 2023

"I think today's BJP - that of Modi & Amit Shah - doesn't have knowledge of Indian politics. They might have knowledge of Pakistan's politics but not India's...Syama Prasad Mookerjee had forged an alliance with Jinnah's Muslim League. This is not that Muslim League. This is that Muslim League with which BJP forged an alliance in Nagpur municipal," the Congress leader said, ANI reported.

#WATCH | Chairman of Congress party's Media & Publicity Dept, Pawan Khera, "I think today's BJP - that of Modi & Amit Shah - doesn't have knowledge of Indian politics. They might have knowledge of Pakistan's politics but not India's...Syama Prasad Mookerjee had forged an alliance… https://t.co/sxbl8ABCBt pic.twitter.com/oP1zyPhkJ7

— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2023

Highlighting Congress's dilemma over Rahul Gandhi's remark, BJP Leader Nalin Kohli stated: "The Congress is stuck in an interesting situation as he (Rahul Gandhi) is their supreme leader and they have to praise whatever he says."

(With Inputs From Agencies)