india

Updated: Aug 01, 2019 19:12 IST

Trouble is brewing in the Muslim League, the second biggest partner in the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala, after the Youth League on Thursday came out against party Rajya Sabha member Abdul Wahab saying he did not participate productively during the triple talaq bill discussion in the house.

“We cut a sorry figure during the discussion. If he has difficulty in putting across the party views it is better for him to make way for others. The community is quite agitated over his silence,” said Youth League national vice-president Moyeenali Shihab Thangal, also the son of League supremo Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal. He said the MP should relinquish his position if he could not deliver his responsibility in the house.

During the discussion in the house, the lone Muslim League MP did not get a chance to speak initially but when his turn came he was not present in the house. Though he approached the chairman seeking a chance to speak he was not given time again.

The party and its youth wing had strongly objected to this saying he should have been in the house when such an important issue was taken up for discussion. “Situation is delicate in the country now. He should have been more alert and participated in the discussion effectively,” said the Youth League leader.

But Wahab maintained that he voted against the bill and opposed the provision to include criminality angle in Muslim marriage. “I was waiting for my turn to speak. But it was delayed inordinately. I was called when I was not there in the house. It was not deliberate. We have made our points very clear,” he said adding his absence was unintentional.

Lok Sabha MP E T Mohamed Basheer also said the party took a consistent view in both houses of Parliament. Muslim League has two Lok Sabha MPs and a lone RS MP from Kerala. The central government had passed the triple talaq bill in Rajya Sabha with a comfortable margin on Tuesday.