THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson M. M. Hassan has come down heavily on the decision of the People's Democratic Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami to support the Left Democratic Front in the Assembly elections.

Mr. Hassan told a news conference here on Wednesday that the decision of the two organisations was ``most unfortunate'' as the CPI(M) had all along opposed communal reservation and arrested and persecuted Abdul Nasir Maudany. "The letter that Maudany had written to former Chief Minister E. K. Nayanar is proof for this," he said.

The KPCC spokesman also questioned the Jamaat-e-Islami claim that it had decided to back the LDF on account of its support for the anti-globalisation campaign and its consistent position against imperialism.

The organisation had offered support for the CPI(M) and the LDF not because of any principles, but to protect certain vested interests.

That the organisation had to support V. S. Achuthanandan, who had written in the CPI(M) ideological organ Chintha that the Jamaat-e-Islami was taking money from imperialists was `quite unfortunate,' he added.

Mr. Hassan said the UDF did not consider the PDP and the Jamaat-e-Islami as fascist organisations, but as community organisations.

Asked to comment on Union Minister Vayalar Ravi that the PDP and Jamaat-e-Islami were communal outfits, he said the question was best posed to Mr. Ravi himself.

Addressing another news conference, KPCC general secretary M. I. Shanawaz alleged that the CPI(M) was trying to mislead the minorities and backward communities on the reservation issue.

This, he said, was being done following the failure of the CPI(M) and the LDF to win over the minorities and backward communities with the support of the PDP, the INL and the Jamaat-e-Islami. Mr. Shanawaz said the CPI(M) was trying to make it appear that the changes effected in the Kerala State and Subordinate Service Rules would result in loss of reservation benefits to a large number of youth belonging to the Muslim and Ezhava communities. The CPI(M) was also spreading the impression that the changes that had been effected in the `pass-over system' would also result in huge loss of jobs to BCs and minorities. He said this was grossly untrue because the UDF Government's Narendran Commission package was actually intended to prevent loss of Government jobs to the backward communities and minorities.

The change in the rules would result in these communities getting at least 2,000 additional jobs every year.

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