In a stinging lambast of Minister for Culture Saji Cherian for his controversial remarks on communal polarisation in local body elections, Samastha and the Muslim League have published strongly worded editorials in their party mouthpieces.

The Minister has said that merely looking at the names of winners in the Malappuram district panchayat and the Kasaragod municipality would reveal evident communal polarisation. Chandrika, the mouthpiece of the Muslim League, wrote that the remark was another version of a far-right comment. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing an election rally in Jharkhand, had said those indulging in arson can be identified by their clothes. 

"Portraying the trend of people's representatives emerging from a particular community as a sign of communalism is a blatant anti-minority stand. The fact that the Minister is reluctant to check the status in 12 other districts reflects intentional communal polarisation. The Minister has violated the oath of the Constitution. It is unbecoming of the LDF to encourage community leaders and comrades who promote communal hatred," Chandrika's editorial said.

The silence of the Chief Minister in these matters is serious, the editorial noted. In another article published in the editorial page by Sufiyan Abdusalam, it was cited that out of 1315 candidates who won elections in Malappuram local body elections under the Muslim League party symbol, 10 per cent are from other communities. Besides, some of the heads of the local bodies are from non-Muslim communities.

 The Muslim League has also said that the CPM has played Muslim cards in the assembly elections. When A K Antony contested in Thirurangadi, CPM fielded N A Kareem. In the elections held in Malappuram, the CPM has only deployed candidates with names like K T Jaleel, V Abdurahiman, Niyas Pulikakalathu, K P Mustafa and Gafoor P Lillis, the article points out. 

Samastha mouth-piece 'Suprabhatham' wrote in the editorial that CPM's game is extremely dangerous and would endanger secular Kerala. The article draws comparisons between statements by AK Balan and Saji Cherian with those of Sangh Parivar leaders. The party has also challenged Saji Cherian to name winners in districts like Idukki and Kottayam.