Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan Wednesday alleged that he was attacked in Jamia Millia Islamia by the youth wing members of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind during in 1990s.
“…Five attempts were made on my life. The last one was most dangerous. And all boys were identified in Jamia Milli Islamia who had hit on my head with rod. Everyone of them belonged to the youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami,” Khan said in an interview with Janam TV, a pro Hindutva news channel in Malayalam.
Khan was answering to a question that why Malayalam news channel MediOne TV was banned from his press briefing.
Days ago, Governor Khan asked representatives of two television news channels — MediaOne TV and Kairali TV — to leave from attending a news conference he called in Kochi. “Get out from here,” Khan shouted. The incident was widely condemned by both ruling party and Opposition in Kerala and journalist bodies including Kerala Union of Working Journalist and Editors Guild of India.
MediaOne TV is backed by Muslim group Jamaat-e-Islami while Kairlai TV is backed by ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).
In the fresh interview, Khan accused Jamaat-e-Islami of targetting him on his stand on the Shah Bano case. He alleged that he was attacked by JIH because of his stand on Shah Bano case and claimed that five attempts were made on his life during that period.
Though Khan often shared this incident in Jamia Milia Islamia with media, he never named any group behind the alleged attack.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala unit slammed Khan, pointing fingers at his mental stability.
“He must attain his mental stability,” VT Abdullakkoya Thangal, state general secretary of JIH Kerala said in an official statement.
Thangal who denied the allegation, said that there are no youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in Delhi. He also questioned why Khan was not complaining this to Delhi Police.
Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala accused Khan of acting as a tool of the Sangh pariwar force.
Jamaat-e-Islami had sharply criticised his stand on Shah Bano case through debates and campaigns only and Khan is still having his hostility towards this Muslim group, Thangal said.
