Kerala CM blasts Congress for ties with Jel, calls it a 'communal outfit'

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday intensified his confrontation with the Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) over its alleged electoral understanding with Jamaat-e-Islami (Jel), branding the organisation's ideology "communal to the core" and comparable to that of the Sangh Parivar. The chief minister launched a sweeping critique of Jamaat-e-Islami's political positions and the Congress's “growing dependence” on the group.

- AM Abdussalam

Addressing a Meet the Press programme on Sunday, Vijayan warned that any move to "cleanse” Jamaat-e-Islami was futile, claiming the outfit adheres to what he described as a “pure form of religious extremism.”

He said the group, as an international organisation, adopted different postures in different regions, but its core ideology remained the same.

“This is precisely why believers of all religions are prepared to oppose them,” he remarked.