Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Popular Front creating communal rifts in Kerala: Kerala govt

July 24, 2010 23:24 IST

Home Minister of Kerala Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said on Saturday that the Popular Front of India was spitting communal venom in the state and was trying to create a wedge between the Muslim community and other religions in the state.

He was speaking to mediapersons after a high level meeting of senior police officers in the state on Saturday.

The minister said the Popular Front had, however, very little support among the Muslim community in the state and was using a handful of people to try and disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

The state home minister also said the state police had got several leads which proved the inter-state relations of the Popular Front and added that the police was verifying whether the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India was working in the state through the party.

Balakrishnan, who is also the politbureau member of the CPI-M, said the police would take stringent action against mobile service operators who provided new connections to people without proper documentation and address proofs.

The minister also said the police is checking into the funding route of the Popular Front and said that there is no substance in the criticism that the state police is lethargic in the investigation on the hand chopping incident.

He also said an elite commando company of the police would be introduced in the state to tackle terror menace.

To a question on whether the police had any track of missing people in the state and whether they were involved in terror activities, Kodiyeri said the police would soon open a bureau that would track the records.
Arun Lakshman in Thiruvananthapuram