Pinarayi-led LDF government was quick on their feet to transfer a cop after he sent a notice to a Mosque in Kerala’s Kannur. Station House officer of Mayyil Police station, Kannur, issued a notice to the secretary of Juma Masjid in Kannur, warning it against using communally sensitive sermons after Friday prayers.
Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala repudiated the notice.
The Chief Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that the notice issued by the SHO was against the views of the LDF government, and it did not consider that Juma Masjids were involved in communal campaigns.
The officer acted against the government’s principle and was moved out, reads the statement.
“Why were only Muslim mosques served such a directive by the Kerala Police? Will Pinarayi’s police serve such a notice to temple committees asking them to restrain hatemongers like Sasikala teacher (Hindu Aikya Vedi president),” KPCC vice president V T Balram said in a Facebook post.
He questioned the motive behind the order since were no reports of communally divisive utterances by Muslim clerics in recent times. Pointing to a recent instance of hate speech, he mentioned ex-MLA PC George’s communally charged speech at an event organized by a temple committee in Kochi. Additionally, he remarked on the ‘narcotic jihad’ comment made by a bishop that specifically targets a particular community.
Abdul Kareem Cheleri, IUML general secretary, Kannur accused the government and police of targeting the affected party instead of resisting the BJP and Sangh Parivar whose leaders have issued insulting remarks against the prophet.
The police department disowned the notice. The district police chief and the assistant commissioner of police informed Abdul Kareem that there was no order from the top to issue such a notice. Abdul urged the chief minister and the ruling CPM to make their position clear on the incident.
