Muslim League is secular: Rahul Gandhi defends IUML alliance in Kerala

Defending the over 50-year-old Congress alliance with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala, the former party president Rahul Gandhi stated that the Muslim League is a secular party and there is nothing non-secular about them. Notably, Congress with the Muslim league has remained in the opposition in Kerala in two back-to-back terms in 2016 and 2021. Both parties are allies in the state for over five decades. 

"Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League. I think the person (reporter) hasn't studied the Muslim League."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made this remark during his 10-day US tour when asked about Congress's alliance with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala. He was taking questions from the media during his interaction at the National Press Club in Washington on Thursday (June 1).

#WATCH | Washington, DC: ..." Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League...": Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on being asked about Congress's alliance with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala pic.twitter.com/wXWa7t1bb0

— ANI (@ANI)

‘Opposition is well united’: Rahul Gandhi

Expressing hope a grand opposition alliance will take shape, Rahul said the discussions between opposition parties are complicated but the differences will be resolved, "The opposition is pretty well united, and it's getting more & more united. We are having conversations with all the Opposition (parties). I think quite a lot of good work is happening there. It's a complicated discussion because there are spaces where we are competing with the Opposition. So a bit of give and take is required. But I am confident that it (a grand Opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre) will happen," Rahul said. 

Rahul Gandhi is on a 10-day long tour to the US visiting over three cities, where he will hold discussions, and interactions with technology leaders, students and civil society organisations. However, the disqualified Wayanad MP continued the trend of making controversial statements against PM Modi and the centre on a few of his engagements in California, Stanford University. At his 'Mohabbat ki Dukaan' event in San Francisco on May 31 he said, "In India, we grew up with people of different languages, different religions. And that is what is being attacked. The tradition in India, of people like Gandhi Ji and Guru Nanak Ji, has been that you should not be under the impression of knowing everything. It is a 'disease' that some groups of India think that they know everything. Even if they have a conversation with God, they might explain to him," he said.