Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 10 -- Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary M.V. Govindan has asserted that opposing communalism has always been the party's principled position, while accusing the Congress-led UDF of hypocrisy on the issue.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Govindan, citing an affidavit filed by the Oommen Chandy government describing Jamaat-e-Islami as an extremist organisation, said senior UDF leaders and ministers were part of the same government at the time, but now project criticism of communalism as an attack on Muslims. He stressed that religious faith should not be conflated with communal politics.

"Speaking out against communalism is the party's stand. The Oommen Chandy government had filed ...