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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a sharp political attack on Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), accusing both alliances of failing to safeguard the state from extremist organisations due to what he termed “vote bank politics”. Shah said only the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could guarantee a secure and developed Kerala.
Addressing a conclave organised by Kerala Kaumudi, the home minister said that while Kerala’s law and order situation may look stable on the surface, multiple underlying threats were quietly taking shape and could pose serious risks in the future.
Shah directly questioned the ability of the LDF and UDF to deal with radical outfits, naming the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
“Can the LDF or the UDF keep Kerala safe from the PFI and Jamaat-e-Islami? Never, because they see them as vote banks. Only the NDA can keep Kerala safe,” he said, adding that security and development must go hand in hand for the state.
Referring to the Centre’s ban on the PFI, Shah said neither the LDF nor the UDF had taken a clear stand when the decision was announced. According to him, the crackdown significantly weakened the organisation’s network.
“By banning the PFI, its entire cadre was put behind bars. That step made the whole country safer,” Shah said, stressing the importance of identifying “hidden dangers working behind the scenes” before they become major security threats.
Linking Kerala’s future to the country’s long-term growth, Shah said the state had a crucial role in achieving the national development vision laid out by Narendra Modi.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the goal of a developed India by 2047. That journey passes through a developed Kerala,” he said, underlining that economic progress cannot be sustained without strong internal security.
Earlier in the day, Shah described the BJP’s recent win in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation as a “foundation stone” for the party’s larger ambitions in Kerala. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party aims to form a government in the state, install a BJP chief minister and shield Kerala from what he called “anti-national forces”.
Shah’s remarks follow recent comments by Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who accused the Congress-led UDF’s ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, and Jamaat-e-Islami of indulging in “dangerous politics” by using religion to block the BJP’s expansion in the state, according to a PTI report.
