Rahul Gandhi calls Muslim League 'secular', here are 8 reasons why it isn't
As far as history goes, Muslim League was responsible for Indian Partition, but for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi the party of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah is “secular”.
The Indian Union Muslim League which is a state party in Kerala is an old ally of the Congress-led UDF in the southern state. During an interaction at the National Press Club in Washington DC, Gandhi said there was nothing non-secular about Muslim League.
“Muslim League is a completely secular party. There is nothing non-secular about Muslim League. I think the person (who sent the question) has not studied the Muslim League,” the Congress leader said as he answered questions on several issues.
‘Sinister’ Rahul Gandhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted to Gandhi’s Muslim League remark with party’s Amit Malviya calling it the Congress leader’s “compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad.”
Gandhi was a Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad before losing the membership following his conviction in the 2019 Modi surname case — in March 2023.
“Jinnah’s Muslim League, the party responsible for India’s partition, on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a ‘secular’ party.”
He further said: “Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here.”
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. pic.twitter.com/sHVqjcGYLb
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 1, 2023
Muslim League & its roots in All India Muslim League
The All-India Muslim League (AIML), popularly known as the Muslim League, was founded on December 30, 1906, in Dhaka, British India (now in Bangladesh).
The AIML was established as the Indian National Congress' (INC) rival political organisation and aimed to advocate for interests of Indian Muslims that time.
In 1913, Jinnah became a member of the Muslim Alliance. Initially, the objective of the league was to train students to work for the British Raj, but they soon become a political group and started voicing for unity in an independent India. They even allegedly expressed concern that Hindus, who comprise most of the population, would rule the country.
The League believed that Muslims were subject to discrimination and therefore, their main motive was to convey to the British Government the issues and requirements of Muslim Communities and to meet those needs.
Back then, the Muslims of India wished to show their allegiance and support to the British Government through the AIML.
They also started working on providing Muslims' rights to people of the community including their access to equal rights to schooling and employment in government. It is through these methods, the Muslim League drove the campaign to split British India into Muslim and Hindu states.
It was then the British Government implemented the "Divide and Rule" strategy against Hindus and Muslims.
Relation between Muslim League and AIML
Kerala's Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) that was born after India's Independence is said to be an off-shoot of AIML.
Soon after the partition in 1947, the AIML, which led the movement for Pakistan, was disbanded. For the next few months, Jinnah's party was succeeded by the Muslim League in West Pakistan and The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League in East Pakistan.
In independent India, the AIML was succeeded by the IUML. The party contested elections under the Constitution of India, and has always had a constant presence in Lok Sabha.
Having a strong hold in Kerala, IUML has a unit in Tamil Nadu too. It has long been recognised by the Election Commission of India as a state party in Kerala.
8 reasons why Muslim League is not a secular party
1 - Pakistan Resolution is also known as Lahore Resolution of 1940 which called for division of India on religious lines
2- Direct Action Day in then undivided Bengal on August 16, 1946 that targeted Hindus and led to massive partition riots across the country
3- Partition of India
4- The party was founded with the goal of furthering interests of Muslims of erstwhile British India. It never claimed to represent other communities or those belonging to religions other than Islam
5- One of the first things done by Muslim League leaders after the party was established in Dhaka in 1906 was meeting the then Viceroy of British India, Lord Minto, with the goal of securing Muslim interests in the Indian subcontinent
6- The Muslim league promoted the 'Two Nation Theory' that led to partition of British India into India and Pakistan.
7- Since it was founded, the Muslim league has encouraged Indian Muslims to look at themselves as members of a global Islamic 'Ummah' or community rather than identify with the land in which they were born. This has led to the identity crisis among many Pakistanis today
8- Since its early days, the Muslim League had promoted the growing rift between Muslims and other communities, leading to a series of communal riots all over the country throughput the 1920s and 1930s. Some of the most notable riots took place in Uttar Pradesh - then known as United Province - Sindh and erstwhile undivided Bengal.
With inputs from agencies
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Umang Sharma
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