New Delhi: Alleging that there is a nexus between the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government and the Popular Front of India (PFI), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said it has briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the “ground realities” in the state.
The BJP held a press conference Tuesday, which was jointly addressed by Union Minister V. Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and its Kerala unit president K. Surendran.
The party’s attack comes a day after an office-bearer of the PFI was arrested Monday in connection with the murder of an RSS worker in Palakkad district. The PFI is a Kerala-based Muslim organisation, which the Modi government has accused of fomenting trouble across the country. In September last year, the organisation was accused of looking to instigate communal riots in UP, following the alleged gangrape and murder of a Dalit girl in Hathras. It has also been accused of funding the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh. The UP government had sought a ban on the PFI over the anti-CAA protests.
“You must be aware of two brutal killings by PFI, the Islamic terror outfit in Kerala in the last 20 days. One of the victims was travelling on a bike with his wife, and was hacked to death. As per the autopsy, over 36 wounds were on his body,” Surendran said. “Sharp weapons were used in this murder. Trained killers were behind this murder, establishing links with PFI.”
Muraleedharan alleged while one can speak against religious terrorism or Islamic terrorism in any part of the world, one can’t do so in Kerala.
“So-called seculars jump into the fray and they start attacking those who speak the truth,” he said. “This is not the first killing by PFI. The CPI(M) government doesn’t take any action. Congress also keeps mum even after its workers are killed. Situation has reached such an extent, that no body dares to speak against Islamic terrorism.”
Surendran alleged that the PFI’s activities are increasing all over the state, especially in rural areas, with the help of the ruling dispensation.
“In Kerala, the PFI and CPI(M) are hand-in-glove. They have a secret understanding and are ruling together in several local bodies,” he claimed. “Congress and CPI(M), both Left and Right parties, are supporting Muslim terror organisations in Kerala. This is a serious threat to the nation.”
Asked why the Centre was not looking into banning the organisation if the allegations were true, Union Minister Chandrasekhar said that law and order being a state subject, the Kerala government should first address the concerns.
‘Halal needs to be banned’
The Kerala BJP is also looking to take on the Left Democratic Front government over the halal food issue.
On Sunday, the party had pressed for a ban on halal food and halal boards in eateries across the state by the Kerala government. The demand was made after unverified claims were made on social media that the Muslim clergy would spit on food to make it halal.
“The halal issue is also coming up in Kerala now. They’re trying to divide people in the name of food and dress code,” Surendran said. “Slowly, Kerala is turning into Syria. This is the observation of the peace-loving common man of Kerala.”
Not only this, last week, a former VHP leader S.J.R. Kumar had approached the Kerala High Court, alleging that halal-certified jaggery was used at Sabarimala temple for preparing prasadam.
The Kerala government has, however, denied such charges and said an attempt was being made to polarise communities in the state.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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