Malappuram:
With rumblings in Kerala's ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) over awarding a fifth ministerial berth to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) refusing to die down,it was the turn of the League to take a dig at sections in Congress opposed to raising the partner's strength in the cabinet.
"League had a role in making Oommen Chandy Chief Minister..No one needs to entertain any illusion that the party would put up with humiliations and insults always", IUML state General Secretary KPA Majeed said at a district meeting of the party workers here.
Mr Majeed said the IUML had only got what it deserved and it was not the result of the generosity of anybody. As a UDF partner, the League had always made sacrifices in the larger interests of the coalition, he said.
Yielding to the partner's pressure, IUML's Manjalamkuzhi Ali was inducted in the cabinet last week, raising the strength of the party in the cabinet to five.
When reporters sought his reaction to IUML's assertion, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy declined to make any comment.
However, IUML leader's statement triggered a sarcastic comment from senior Congress leader and state Power MinisterAryadan Muhammad,who was stiffly opposed to conceding the League's demand.
"Well, the League leader did not say that Kerala was not made by the party", Muhammad told reporters in Thrissur.
Significantly, the fresh round of statements came after the joint appeal of Mr Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Chief Ramesh Chennithala to Congress and UDF leaders to treat the row over the fifth ministerial issue a "closed chapter and refrain from making open statements."