Amid controversy over Hamas leader Mashal Khaled virtually addressing a pro-Palestine rally in Kerala, the state leader of the Solidarity Youth Movement, the outfit that organised the event, has said that standing with the Palestinian terror outfit is part of the struggle against Hindutva.

The rally was organised by Solidarity Youth Movement (SYM), which is the youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, in Malappuram.

The SYM has launched a campaign to “uproot Hindutva and apartheid Zionism".

State BJP chief K Surendran criticised the Left and Congress over Mashal’s address to the rally in Malappuram.

“We have seen conventions and programmes that Hamas leaders virtually attend in this state. Another meeting also had a virtual address by Hamas leaders,” Surendran said.

“Things have reached such a state in secular Kerala. Hamas extremists are participating in programmes in Kerala. He virtually addressed the meeting only because he did not get a visa. The agenda of the organisers is very clear. This should be probed by the Central and state agencies,’’ he said.

Rally organiser Solidarity Youth Movement’s state president Suhaib CT was quoted as saying by the Indian Express as saying, “In the past also, Hamas leaders had addressed several solidarity conferences in Kerala through video conference. The Palestine cause is being kept alive also because of the unconditional support from the Islamic movements in Kerala".

He said when “Hindutva forces are openly standing with Israel” and “making another section (Hamas) terrorists, standing with those so-called terrorists is a fight against Hindutva”, IE reported.