Kollam (Kerala) [India], March 15 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary M V Govindan slammed Centre for allowing the participation of Taliban in the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Kozhikode online training program and said that Taliban participation in IIM Kozhikode training, shows a clear understanding between Taliban and Sangh Parivar.

The Centre which repeatedly claims that it is against terrorism is now being sociable with the Taliban, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary said questioning the logic of the Central government, led by Sangh Parivar, offering an online course to the representatives of Taliban by the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIM-K).

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IIM Kozhikode is conducting online training in which delegates from Afghanistan's Taliban are also participating. The E-ITEC program began yesterday in which 18 delegates from Afghanistan, 1 from Thailand and 1 from Maldives also joined.

Programs with participants from foreign countries are done under the Indian Technical and Economic Corporation (ITEC) by the Ministry of External Affairs.

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Addressing the media, Govindan said, "They (Central Government) say they are against terrorism but establishing a friendship with terrorist administration"

"A very important issue is that in the name of making a part of Indian thoughts, a subject called immersing with Indian thoughts was conducted at a prominent educational institution run by the central government here as a course training," added Secretary Govindan.

Attacking the Central government, Govindan said, "They keep saying that they are against terrorism but by using the Foreign Affairs Ministry's program at IIM Kozhikode, they are establishing a friendship with the terrorist administration. This shows the stand taken to help terrorist groups by RSS. this shows how the discussions between RSS and Jamaat-e Islami are developing."

Previously on Tuesday, a press release was released by IIM Kozhikode informing that IIM Kozhikode is conducting an online training in which delegates from Afghanistan's Taliban are also participating.

"The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) began on Tuesday in which 18 delegates from Afghanistan, one from Thailand and one from Maldives also joined. The participants or the countries for the ITEC programme are selected by the Ministry of External Affairs," read the release.

"The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode is a premier B School of the country under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. As a leading global school for thought leadership, the Institute conducts many national and international training programmes in the area of leadership and management education, the release read further.

Informing more about ITEC programme selection, the release said, "ITEC is the leading capacity-building platform of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The participants or countries for the ITEC programme are selected by MEA, Government of India. IIM Kozhikode has no role whatsoever in the selection of these candidates nor the knowledge of their political affiliations."

"Day 1 of the programme, on Tuesday, witnessed online participation from 20 delegates from three countries --- Afghanistan (18), Thailand (1) and Maldives (1). They attended the programme virtually from their respective countries. IIMK is conducting the course on behalf of New Delhi's capacity-building platform, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), the release added. (ANI)

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