After the encounter in Attappadi forest of Palakkad district. (Express) After the encounter in Attappadi forest of Palakkad district. (Express)

With the ruling party on the defensive after the arrest of two-party cadres with suspected Maoist links earlier this month, a district-level CPI(M) leader in Kerala has blamed Muslim extremist outfits for nourishing Left-wing extremism in the state, which seems to have been lapped up by the state BJP.

Addressing a party function on Monday, CPI(M)’s Kozhikode district secretary P Mohanan said Islamic extremists in the districts are nurturing Maoists.

He said, “There is a close relation between Maoists and Islamic fundamentalists. The police should probe the link. (In fact), it is not only a link. See the enthusiasm of the National Development Front (now Popular Front of India) and certain other Muslim extremist outfits in encouraging Maoists.”

Agreeing with Mohanan’s remarks, BJP’s former state unit president Kummanam Rajasekharan on Tuesday said, “We support the concern raised by him (Mohanan). The BJP has on several occasions raised the issue that Maoists and Muslim fundamentalists are working in tandem in Kerala. Extremists are operating under the garb of Maoists.”

Abdul Majeed, state secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India, political wing of the Popular Front of India, however, dismissed the assertions and accused the CPI(M) of trying to place people from minority and Dalit communities under a cloud of suspicion to further the interest of Hindutva forces.

The slew of political remarks comes days after the arrest of two men in Kozhikode for their suspected links with Maoists. The duo — identified as Allan Shuhaib and Taha Fazil — were also CPI(M) activists and were booked under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA despite rumblings in some quarters within the ruling CPI(M).

The police have said that anti-Indian campaign material on Jammu and Kashmir was recovered from them.

The police also said the two were in touch with suspected Maoist activist C P Usman, who is on the run.

Muslim outfits such as Jamaat-e-Islami had questioned the arrests and demanded that Sections of UAPA slapped against them be revoked.

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