Adityanath, in an indirect reference to the green flags of IUML, made a comparison with pre-Independence Muslim League and alleged that the Muslim League had once led to Partition of the country.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for calling the party a ‘virus’.
“We met ECI to file a complaint in regards to claims made by UP CM and by Delhi MLA MS Sirsa. They called us terrorists, virus and all kind of things. BJP troll army is behind it. We have asked EC to file FIR, they are going to look into the matter and immediately respond to us,” IUML national secretary Khorram Anis Omer was quoted as saying by ANI.
Responding to the controversy surrounding the waving of “green flags” during Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow in Wayanad, Omer said, “There has been a controversy going on about Pakistani flags being waved at Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Wayanad, Kerala, which is false and misleading, and is an attempt to malign both parties.”
The IUML has long been a Congress ally, and is part of the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. The IUML has 18 MLAs in the current Kerala House, and had 20 members in the 2011 Assembly. The IUML has long been recognised by the Election Commission of India as a state party in Kerala.
Several BJP supporters have equated the IUML’s flag to that of Pakistan and raised questions about the support of the IUML to the Congress president in Kerala’s Wayanad constituency.
The IUML’s flag has a white crescent and star at the top left corner of rectangular green, and is clearly very different from the flag of Pakistan, which has a broad white strip to the left of a square green patch. The white crescent and star in the Pakistani flag is much bigger, and sits in the middle of the green.
On Friday, Adityanath, in an indirect reference to the green flags of IUML, made a comparison with pre-Independence Muslim League and alleged that the Muslim League had once led to Partition of the country.
“Muslim League ek virus hai. Ek aisa virus jis se koi sankramit ho gaya to wo bach nahi sakta aur aaj to mukhya vipakshi Dal Congress hi is se sankramit ho chuka hai..Sochiye agar yeh jeet gayi toh kya hoga? Yeh virus poore desh mein phail jayega (Muslim League is a virus, with which if someone is infected once, he cannot be saved. Today, the main opposition party, Congress is infected with it. Think, if they win then what will happen? This virus will spread in the entire country),” Yogi Adityanath had tweeted.
Comparing the Muslim League with that of pre-Independence, Adityanath said, “1857 ke swatantrata sangram mein Mangal Pandey ke sath pura desh Angrezon ke khilaf mil kar lad raha tha, phir yeh Muslim League ka virus aaya aur aisa phaila ki poore desh ka hi batwara ho gaya,” said Adityanath, adding, “Aaj phir vahi Khatra mandra raha hai, Hare jhande phir se lehar rahe. Congress Muslim leagure virus se sankramit ha, savdhan rahiye.” (In 1857 freedom struggle, the entire country was fighting against British with Mangal Pandey. But then Muslim League virus came and spread in such a manner that there was partition of the country. Today again same threat is looming. Green flags are being waved again. Congress is infected with Muslim League virus, be aware…)