Sunni group slams Congress for ‘omitting’ Moulana Azad from ad

The Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF) has strongly criticized the removal of Congressman Moulana Abul Kalam Azad from the advertising released in connection with the Congress’s plenary session held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

A Sunni group called SKSSF, which is connected to the Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama, demanded that Congress provide an explanation for why the leader’s photo was absent from the advertisements.

The SKSSF’s state vice-president, Sathar Panthaloor, stated in a Facebook post on Monday that the images of the leaders of the independence movement have been arranged according to order followed for decades.

“The order was Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, and Azad. But Azad’s photo was not seen in the official advertisement released by the AICC,” he said.

“The leaders who had left Congress including Netaji, Ambedkar, and P V Narasimha Rao, who pushed the party backward are added in the advertisements. Congress should explain why it omitted Azad from them. Is the Sangh Parivar mind that removed Nehru from the ICHR documents active in the Congress too?” he asked.

Panthaloor further said that the BJP has completely excluded Muslims who constitute fifteen percent of the population. “We can only sympathise with the Congress if the party also is toeing the BJP line,” Panthaloor said.

On criticism around Maulana Azad’s ommission, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh apologised for the ‘inexcusable slipup’.

“Today an ad released by INC did not carry a photograph of Maulana Azad. It was an inexcusable slipup. Responsibility for it is being fixed & action will be taken. Meanwhile, this is a most sincere apology from us. He will always remain an iconic & inspiring figure for us & India,” he tweeted on Sunday.