MEC 7 row: CPM Kozhikode district secy P Mohanan backtracks, says only 'cautioned vigilance'

Kozhikode: CPM Kozhikode district secretary P Mohanan has retracted from his stance regarding the MEC Seven fitness group, which has gained huge popularity in the Malabar region. Speaking on Sunday, he clarified that neither he nor the CPM has made any statements against MEC Seven.

"MEC Seven is a fitness initiative launched a few years ago as a means to combat lifestyle diseases. We have no reason to oppose it. The point raised was that it is a public platform. In such public forums, where people from all backgrounds come together, there have been instances where organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami, SDPI, Sangh Parivar and other communal forces infiltrate and use these platforms as a front for their agendas. Even in such gatherings, these forces sometimes attempt to hijack the space. The public needs to remain vigilant," Mohanan explained.

He added, "All we said was that vigilance is necessary. There is no need to interpret this beyond that."

Mohanan further stated that suspicions have arisen in rare instances about such infiltration. "The CPM strongly opposes all forms of communalism and will not support any move that seeks to divide people," he asserted.
Previously, Mohanan had criticised MEC Seven on public platforms, alleging that it was backed by the banned organisation Popular Front and Jamaat-e-Islami. He had stated that investigations into the WhatsApp group administrators of MEC Seven revealed links to individuals associated with the Popular Front. He also alleged that this initiative served as a facade for the religious nationalism promoted by Jamaat-e-Islami. During a programme, he claimed that these efforts were part of a larger plan involving extremists.