Thiruvananthapuram: The government and major opposition parties on Monday closed ranks to condemn the hate campaign that is going on against the Muslim community by vested interests in the wake of reports on the mysterious disappearance of some persons and suspicions that they joined dreaded terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS). While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned against attempts to trigger anti-Muslim feelings, senior Congress leader A.K. Antony said it was unfortunate that the community as a whole was being blamed for the acts of some.
Replying to a submission moved by leader of the opposition Ramesh Chennithala in the Assembly, the chief minister said terrorists are not from a particular religion. “They come from different religions,” he said in a strongly-worded statement. “However, vested interests are trying to keep the entire community under a cloud of suspicion. Their motive is very evident: to trigger an anti-Muslim feeling. The government shall not allow it at all costs.”
The chief minister confirmed that 21 persons from state –17 from Kasaragod district and four from Palakkad -- have been missing so far and one Firos Khan from Kasargod was reported to be detained in Mumbai airport. “They include women and children. All of them left home citing different reasons. There were even reports that some had already reached Syria and joined IS. The state and central agencies are probing the matter,” he said.
Mr Chennithala said the reports of some youth joining IS are disturbing. “All political parties and religious outfits should work together to resist such trends,” he said. BJP MLA O. Rajagopal said every individual has the freedom to choose religion but the government should not allow anti-national activities such as joining outfits like the IS.
Mr Antony and KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran said vested interests are trying to create communal polarisation. Mr Antony told reporters here that the government should inform the people the facts behinds the reports. “The state police and the National Investigation Agency should join hands together in the probe,” he said.
“It is the Muslim community that put up resistance to the IS but it is now being blamed,” he said. It is not yet confirmed whether all the missing persons have joined ISIS or not, he pointed out. The KPCC president the disappearance of Malayalis is not a subject on which parties should try and take political advantage. probe was to confirm whether Nimisha actually joined the IS. “We shall take up further probe only after confirming that aspect,” said a senior police officer.
