KOZHIKODE: In a major setback for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), veteran leader Noorbina Rasheed has resigned from her position as the National Secretary of the Vanitha League. Her resignation comes amid brewing discontent over the party’s candidate selection process, which she claims has systematically ignored senior women leaders who built the organization from the ground up. Addressing a press conference while brandishing old membership receipts and archival news reports, Noorbina alleged that the leadership failed to acknowledge the contributions of the Vanitha League while prioritizing newcomers through questionable pressure tactics.
A significant portion of her grievance was directed at the candidacy of Fathima Thahlia. Noorbina claimed that senior leader P.K. Kunhalikutty had previously assured her that Thahlia would not be fielded as a candidate. She criticized the “new generation” of leaders for compromising on the party’s core values, specifically referencing past controversies and legal cases that were abruptly withdrawn. “Ideology should not change with time,” Noorbina stated, emphasizing that her protest is not for personal gain or a parliamentary seat, but for the dignity of the Vanitha League and the Islamic values it represents.
Accusing the IUML leadership of practicing a hollow form of secularism by sidelining its own women’s wing, Noorbina questioned why the Vanitha League was excluded even when “jumbo committees” were being formed at the national level. She remarked that while she has always navigated through challenges to serve the party as directed by the Panakkad Thangals, the current disregard for senior voices has made her position untenable. While she has stepped down from her official post, she maintained that she continues to hold the party’s ideals close to her heart, even as she challenges its internal decision-making.