Nobody will be allowed to dent communal harmony: Kerala CM

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said strict action will be taken against those who try to disrupt communal harmony of the state. His statement assumes much significance as the state is witnessing a raging debate over the controversial remark of the Pala Bishop on “narcotic jihad”.

“Kerala is a state known for its secular credentials and amity. We have noticed that some forces are trying to disrupt this. Stringent action will be taken against them,” he said, while addressing top officials of the state. He asked police not to spare anyone trying to wedge a difference in the society.

“We will not allow anyone to foil the communal amity. Such forces will be sternly dealt with,” he said, adding people who take to social media to spread hatred will not be spared.

Last week, the CM came down heavily against the Bishop’s statement saying social evils have no religion and it is not proper to put everything into the account of a particular community. He also made it clear that the government will not book the senior religious leader.

Bishop Mar Joseph Kallaranghatt, while addressing a religious congregation in one of the churches in Pala (Kottayam) on Sept 9, had said Catholic girls and youth were becoming victims of “narcotic jihad” and decried authorities for turning a blind eye towards it. Though the opposition Congress criticised the Bishop in strong terms initially, later it toned it down.

Meanwhile, actor-turned politician Suresh Gopi, BJP Rajya Sabha MP, called on the Bishop and pledged support. “Our meeting was cordial and we discussed all issues,” he said in Pala. Though many religious leaders and intelligentsia asked the Bishop to clear the air saying he was only referring to the social evil (growing use of narcotics among youth) he’s yet to dilute his statement.