Kochi, 12 May (H.S.): A controversy has erupted within the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) after the party’s women’s wing, the Vanitha League, came under criticism over the treatment of Fathima Thahiliya, who recently made history as the party’s first-ever woman MLA.

The row surfaced following the Vanitha League’s first state committee meeting after the Kerala Assembly elections, in which the IUML secured 22 seats. Questions were raised by sections of party workers and supporters after Vanitha League state president Suhra Mampad shared details of the meeting on Facebook without prominently mentioning Thahiliya, who won from the Perambra Assembly constituency.

The controversy intensified amid allegations that the newly elected MLA was not invited to the state committee meeting and that the organisation had failed to publicly celebrate her landmark electoral victory. Soon after, social media platforms witnessed a wave of criticism targeting Suhra Mampad, with several comments reportedly turning abusive and personal, including instances of body-shaming.

Responding to the backlash, Suhra Mampad issued a strongly worded Facebook post on Tuesday, asserting that she would not be intimidated by cyber attacks or organised online campaigns.

The senior IUML leader said she had faced far greater challenges during her long political journey and stressed that the party’s recent electoral success was also the result of the tireless work carried out by Vanitha League activists across Kerala.

“Who are you trying to intimidate, you so-called cyber tigers? Did you think I would get scared because of a few comments and abusive messages?” she asked in the post, accusing critics of turning a positive organisational meeting into an opportunity to attack both the IUML and the Vanitha League.

Suhra said she had never publicly criticised the party over seat allocation or internal matters and expressed disappointment that many of those attacking her were activists she had treated “like children” throughout her political career.

Highlighting the organisational reach of the Vanitha League, she noted that the women’s wing now has committees at the state, district, constituency, panchayat and unit levels across Kerala, built through years of struggle and sacrifice by women leaders.

She also rejected allegations of jealousy or personal ambition and clarified that she had publicly congratulated Fathima Thahiliya during her speech at the state committee meeting and had personally conveyed her wishes to the newly elected MLA.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman