Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday warned that Kerala's law and order situation may look calm now, but "several threats are slowly emerging" that could become dangerous in the future.
Speaking at a conclave organised by Kerala Kaumudi, a leading Malayalam newspaper here, he questioned the role of certain organisations and asked whether they could truly keep people safe.
"Those who do not believe in coexistence—how can they ensure unity," Shah asked.
"Through this programme today, I want to ask the people of Kerala: Can organisations like the PFI, Jamaat-e-Islami, and political parties like the SDPI keep Kerala safe?"
"It is the responsibility of the government to identify such threats and make efforts to eliminate them," he said.
Referring to the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), Shah said both the LDF and the UDF had neither opposed nor supported the decision.
"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," the home minister said.
He said Kerala's safety could be ensured only by identifying "unseen dangers operating behind the curtain".
"Along with a developed Kerala, a safe Kerala is also important," Shah said.
His remarks come days after Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the Congress-led UDF constituent IUML and Islmist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami of playing "dangerous politics" by using religion to defeat the BJP in the state.
Chandrasekhar had alleged that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami were not interested in development or jobs for the youth, but were focused only on stopping the BJP's growth in Kerala.