IUML, Cong in war of words on berth

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Vice-president Hamid Ansari with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during the sesquicentennial celebrations

The Indian Union Muslim League and the Congress engaged in a full-blown war of words on Saturday over the fifth ministerial berth accorded to the League. IUML general secretary K.P.A. Majeed kicked off the duel, stating in Kozhikode that it was the League that made Mr Oommen Chandy Kerala chief minister and he stays in office courtesy the League. Congress leader and power minister Aryadan Mohammed hit back: “Fortunately, the League did not say they made the state of Kerala.”
However, Mr Chandy maintained a stoic silence, refusing to be drawn into the verbal duel. But League state president Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal also made an uncharacteristically strident statement in Kozhikode saying that the fifth minister was the “right of the IUML” and some were unnecessarily creating a controversy over Mr Manjalamkuzhi Ali becoming a minister. “It has become some kind of an epidemic and Ali will remove such pollutants causing the epidemic.”
Mr Majeed said in Malappuram that nobody should be under the illusion that “IUML will stay forever in the UDF suffering all kinds of humiliation”. The demand for the fifth minister was not a sudden development. It had been raised during the formation of the ministry itself but the IUML decided made concessions for the smooth formation of the ministry when other constituents lobbied for posts like that of Speaker, chief whip and additional berths. It was a “gentleman’s agreement” that the demand of the IUML would be met after sometime, he said.
He also denied reports that the IUML tried to send a delegation to NSS headquarters to mollify the organisation and said, “The IUML is not such a weakling.” Mr Aryadan refused to comment on the statement of Mr Majeed.