Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday warned that while Kerala’s law and order situation may appear calm at present, “several threats are slowly emerging” that could pose serious dangers in the future.
Speaking at a conclave organised by leading Malayalam daily Kerala Kaumudi in Thiruvananthapuram, Shah questioned the role of certain organisations and political groups, asking whether they were capable of ensuring peace and unity in the state.
“Those who do not believe in coexistence — how can they ensure unity?” Shah said. Addressing the audience, he asked whether organisations such as the Popular Front of India (PFI), Jamaat-e-Islami, and political parties like the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) could keep Kerala safe. “It is the responsibility of the government to identify such threats and make efforts to eliminate them,” he added.
Referring to the Centre’s ban on the PFI, the home minister said neither the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) nor the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had clearly opposed or supported the decision. He asserted that the ban had made the country safer.
“Wherever I go across the country, I say this clearly — by banning the PFI, we put its entire cadre behind bars, and the whole country became safer as a result,” Shah said.
He emphasised that Kerala’s security could be ensured only by identifying “unseen dangers operating behind the curtain,” adding that safety was as important as development for the state.
“Along with a developed Kerala, a safe Kerala is also important,” Shah said.
His remarks come days after Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the Congress-led UDF constituent Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami of indulging in “dangerous politics” by using religion to counter the BJP’s growth in the state.
Chandrasekhar had alleged that the IUML and Jamaat-e-Islami were not focused on development or employment opportunities for the youth, but were instead intent on blocking the BJP’s political expansion in Kerala.
