At a time when Kerala’s ruling CPI(M) is facing criticism over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks linking Malappuram district with gold smuggling, Left-backed legislator K T Jaleel has come under fire for saying “most people being caught in connection with gold smuggling at Kozhikode airport are Muslims”.
The Left alliance has been in damage control mode since CM Vijayan said in a press conference last month that “figures show large amounts of hawala and gold are coming through Kozhikode airport (situated in Malappuram district). Malappuram accounts for a major share of gold and hawala, which police have seized in the last three years”. Vijayan was responding to party-backed independent legislator P V Anvar’s allegation that police in Malappuram are implicating innocent people in crimes.
Jaleel, who is known to be close to Vijayan, told the CPI(M)-run daily Deshabhimani and Manorama News TV channel on Sunday that religious leaders should tell people not to engage in gold smuggling. “Why are religious leaders, in their sermons, not telling people to keep away from gold smuggling and hawala dealings. Why don’t they say that these activities are against religion and the faithful should not indulge in such activities. Let Indian Union Muslim League (IUML, a partner in the opposition UDF alliance) state president Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, who is the qazi of hundreds of mosques in Kerala, issue a fatwa saying that gold smuggling is anti-national. Let them say the faithful should keep away from gold smuggling and should not handle hawala money,” he said.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Jaleel further said, “Most people being caught in connection with gold smuggling at Kozhikode airport are Muslims. Without addressing this scenario, what reforms and progress do those who love Malappuram intend to bring in the community. Most Muslims who are involved in gold smuggling and hawala think that their act is not against their religion. When I say that qazis should come forward to enlighten such people, how does that become Islamophobia?” Jaleel said.
Malappuram is a Muslim-majority district.
Jaleel’s comments have drawn a sharp reaction from the IUML, which plays a leading role in Malappuram politics. IUML general secretary P M A Salam said Jaleel is depicting an entire community as criminals. “It is despicable and dangerous. He has created an impression that the community is engaged in smuggling. Even BJP leaders have not raised such an allegation. Jaleel wanted to take Vijayan’s statements on Malappuram to another realm. He should tender an apology to the community,” said Salam.
Jaleel, who has been a CPI(M)-backed legislator since 2006, had come under the shadow of a Customs probe in 2020 in the wake of a case related to alleged smuggling of goods through diplomatic cargo to the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. Jaleel was minister for Higher Education at the time, and was questioned by Customs after being named a “person of interest” in cases of illegal import of dates and religious texts through diplomatic cargo. The NIA had also questioned him in connection with the case.
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