A clandestine meeting of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sympathisers within Kerala’s prison department has exposed the deep infiltration of RSS sleeper cells in the southern state’s uniformed services, raising alarm over the growing saffronisation of law enforcement.
The secret gathering, held at a luxury resort in Kumarakom, Kottayam, in January 2025, has intensified scrutiny on the Kerala police and prison administration, already reeling from controversies involving senior officers’ ties to the Hindu paramilitary organisation, RSS.
According to an intelligence report submitted to the state government and prison department, 18 officials—17 Deputy Prison Officers and 5 Assistant Prison Officers—convened at the Kumarakom resort on January 17, 2025. The group, identified as RSS workers, booked a room at 9:42 PM and checked out at 8:43 AM the next day.
Maktoob obtained exclusive photographs of the meeting and the resort bill, confirming the officials’ presence. The room was reportedly arranged by an officer from the Kumarakom police station, further implicating police involvement.
The intelligence report flagged the meeting as a serious breach of protocol, noting that the officials, under the banner “it will continue to grow,” shared images on social media, hinting at a coordinated effort to expand RSS influence within the prison department.
Despite the gravity of the findings, the prison department’s response was limited to transferring the 18 officials to the Northern Region, citing “administrative convenience” and vacancies in northern institutions. The transfer orders conspicuously omitted any mention of the meeting or disciplinary action, drawing sharp criticism for downplaying the incident.
Former Home Minister and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government of complicity, alleging that the meeting had state backing. “This is not an isolated event but part of a systematic effort to saffronise Kerala’s institutions with the government’s tacit support,” Chennithala said.
CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan, however, defended the government, asserting it would act constitutionally. “What can RSS workers do? The government will proceed as per law,” Govindan stated, though he stopped short of promising a thorough probe into the meeting’s agenda.
The Kumarakom incident is not an isolated case. Kerala’s police force has been embroiled in similar controversies, most notably involving former Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar. In 2023, Ajith Kumar’s secret meetings with RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and senior leader Ram Madav sparked a political firestorm. A high-level probe, tabled in the Kerala Assembly in October 2024, failed to ascertain the purpose of these closed-door meetings, citing a lack of independent witnesses.
Opposition leaders, including Congress’s V.D. Satheesan, alleged that Ajith Kumar acted as a conduit for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to negotiate with the RSS, potentially to secure political gains for the BJP in the 2024 Thrissur Lok Sabha elections.
Despite these allegations, Ajith Kumar was promoted to DGP rank in December 2024, a move that further fueled accusations of government leniency.
The saffronisation debate gained further traction when three former Directors General of Police (DGPs) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), cementing perceptions of ideological alignment within the state’s top police echelons.
The Congress and CPI, a key ally in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), have repeatedly accused the government of turning a blind eye to RSS activities within the police and prison departments, particularly after the controversial handling of the Thrissur Pooram festival in 2024, which some allege was disrupted to bolster BJP’s electoral prospects.
 sympathisers within Kerala’s prison department has exposed the deep infiltration of RSS sleeper cells in the southern state’s uniformed services, raising alarm over the growing saffronisation of law enforcement.){kind=link}