“Secularism is temporary, Sharia law is permanent” is an idea sold to Indian Muslims by certain religious organisations, and whenever time and opportunity arise, the salesmen of this slogan make statements to cement the idea on the ground.
A similar pattern is now being cited in Kerala following the electoral success of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Malappuram district during the Kerala local body elections. During victory celebrations, slogans were allegedly raised calling for the stoppage of devotional songs played from Hindu temples during dawn and dusk hours. The incident has triggered a wider debate on Hindu religious freedom, noise regulations, and the expanding political influence of the Indian Union Muslim League in the district.
The slogans were reportedly raised near the Kolappad Mahavishnu Temple at Edavanna, Malappuram district where UDF supporters had gathered to celebrate their win in the recently concluded local body elections. The timing and location of the sloganeering have heightened concern among local Hindus, who view the statements as an assertion of Islamic ideological dominance rather than a routine political outburst with a clear intent.
Temple authorities point out that devotional songs, including Venkatesha Suprabhatam, are played within legally permissible noise limits and only after obtaining police permission, in accordance with established rules. Despite this, the demand to stop temple music has been interpreted by critics as intimidation rather than a genuine concern over public nuisance and nothing less than unofficial Islamic Fatwa.
A new FATWA from Muslim League IN KERALA; Suprabhatham Bhajan from temples should not be heard outside.🚨🚨
This shocking slogan was raised during congress victory celebrations in Edavanna, Malappuram. Muslim League workers openly shouted provocative slogans saying that temple… pic.twitter.com/rPCFkh0EmM
— MAHARATHI (@MahaRathii) December 17, 2025
Observers note that in Malappuram, the UDF is effectively led by the Indian Union Muslim League, with the Congress functioning as a junior partner. The scale of the UDF’s victory in the district is being seen as a boost to the League’s influence within the Front. Political commentators also point to the tacit support extended by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to the UDF, arguing that this alignment has emboldened sections within the coalition. SDPO is the political arm of the outlawed Islamic terrorist outfit, PFI (Popular Front of India). When the controversial Youth Congress leader Rahul Mankoottathil won a by-election last year, it was SDPI who kicked off the victory celebrations.
The controversy has also revived accusations of “selective secularism.” Critics argue that while limited-duration temple devotional songs are questioned, the five-times-daily Azaan is accepted without protest, and that Hindus and Christians have largely refrained from raising objections on that count.
With the newly elected representatives yet to assume office, sections of the Hindu community in Malappuram say they are taking the slogans seriously, fearing further curbs on religious practices. They argue that the episode reflects a broader ideological assertion by radical Islamists masked under electoral triumphalism, and warn that communal tensions could deepen if such statements are normalised.
The Malappuram region is widely known as a Muslim-dominated district with a history of strong influence from radical Islamist elements. Political observers note that both Communist leadership and the Congress have largely remained silent, allowing such elements to grow unchallenged in return for electoral support—either for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) or the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Critics describe this as a dangerous political template: you support me in one area, I will support you in another. This arrangement, they argue, operates under the cover of secularism and minority appeasement politics. The consolidation of radical Islamic influence is not accidental but the outcome of sustained political indulgence by mainstream parties, where banned outfit PFI had heavy influence and elements of Islamic State were noticed.
Attention has also turned to the role of the Home Ministry, which functions under Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The continued silence of the Home Ministry on the presence and activities of radical Islamic elements in Malappuram is being viewed not as neutrality, but as tacit approval.
