IUML dilemma: Wave flags at RaGa events or not?

MALAPPURAM: While rumours and social media discussions surrounding its green flag is troubling

Indian Union Muslim League

(IUML), one of the major allies of Congress-led UDF in the state, there was conspicuous absence of IUML flags in a Youth rally organized by the party in Wayanad on Wednesday.


Muslim League workers participated in the rally carrying white umbrellas with picture of Rahul Gandhi imprinted on it. But party leaders maintained that the absence of flags in rally was not part of any decision to avoid flags, but it was a novel campaign carrying umbrella with photo of candidate.

It is also to be noted that some party workers carried white flags with photo of C H Muhammed Koya, along with green flags when they received Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi at Karipur airport on Wednesday night.

After a section of media reported that UDF is planning to avoid waving of Muslim League flag to cheer up Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Wayanad on Thursday to submit nomination papers, the state general secretary of the party, K P A Majeed, was forced to issue a statement denying that the reports are baseless.

Majeed has clarified that there was no such decision to avoid flags or symbols of Muslim League during Rahul’s visit in Wayanad. “IUML is proudly using the same green flag right from the first day of formation of the party,” he said.

After the announcement of Rahul’s candidature in Wayanad several social media users across the country posted a video where people were seen cheering up Rahul holding his poster along with green flags of Muslim League. They claimed that Pakistani flags were used for Rahul’s campaign in Wayanad.

District vice-president of IUML in Wayanad, T Muhammed, who is also the assembly-level campaign committee chairman of UDF, said that there are concerted efforts to malign the image of the party which always upheld secularist and democratic values. “These campaigns have only one single motive, and that is to create confusions and mislead voters,” he said.

Muhammed also said that statement of CPM state secretary

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

in support of Muslim League in the flag issue was not out of good intention. “Earlier he had said that Congress is joining hands with fundamentalists in Wayanad. Now he is trying to divide UDF workers in disguise of supporting Muslim League,” he said.