Kozhikode: After the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of closeness with Jamaat-e-Islami and alleging that the party was “whitewashing” communal forces.

Addressing reporters here, senior BJP leader K Surendran claimed that “sharia” (Islamic religious law) would be implemented in Kerala if the Congress and the Congress-led UDF came to power after the upcoming Assembly elections.

“The Congress has now adopted a blatant communal stand by whitewashing terrorist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami,” he said in response to a question.

Surendran further alleged that people in the state had been living under threat for the past 10 years during the rule of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government and claimed that a Congress-UDF government would create further problems.

His remarks came a day after the CPI(M) and the Congress in Kerala locked horns over Jamaat-e-Islami, with the ruling party accusing the opposition of colluding with communal forces and attempting to give them a “good certificate”.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan on Saturday alleged that the Congress had adopted a position portraying Jamaat-e-Islami as a non-communal organisation. In response, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan accused the Marxist party of deliberately “forgetting” its long association with the outfit.

Targeting the ongoing Pudhu Yuga Yatra organised by the Congress-led UDF, Govindan alleged that the campaign had begun “whitewashing communal and extremist forces” and accused the Congress of attempting to legitimise Jamaat-e-Islami.

However, Satheesan rejected the allegations outright and said the CPI(M) was in no position to lecture the Congress on communalism. He accused the Marxist party of indulging in “communal appeasement” and alleged that senior CPI(M) leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had accepted Jamaat-e-Islami support to win elections.

The CPI(M) and the BJP further intensified their criticism of the Congress after Satheesan recently stated that the UDF would accept the support of Jamaat-e-Islami, noting that the organisation had clarified it does not advocate a religion-based nation in India.