Kochi: In light of the assassination threat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Kerala visit, the Kochi Police Commissioner has assured that all the security arrangements made for the PM were fool-proof.
"All security arrangements have been made for the PM's visit. The plans were made under the supervision of the Chief Secretary. The Intelligence ADGP visited the region twice to oversee the arrangements," Kochi Police Commissioner Sethu Raman told the media on Saturday.
"The traffic arrangements have also been made. A briefing on this will be made on Sunday. More than 2,000 police officials have been deployed for ensuring the PM's security," he added.
A security report forwarded by the Intelligence ADGP T K Vinod Kumar ahead of the PM's trip was leaked on Saturday. The report mentions that last week, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran received a letter claiming a conspiracy to assassinate PM Modi in Kerala. In light of the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), the security threat cannot be taken lightly, the report stated.
The letter purportedly written by a Kaloor native hinted at a suicide attack against the PM during his Kerala trip.
Meanwhile, the wife of Kaloor native NJ Johnny, who allegedly wrote the letter, claimed that her husband's handwriting was different.
“The letter was written by someone else. The handwriting does not match that of my husband. It must have been written by someone who holds a grudge against us,” she said. Meanwhile, Johnny's daughter claimed that she knew the culprit behind the threat.
MHA demands explanation
The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought an explanation from the state government on the matter. Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan has also demanded an investigation into the security lapse. He also alleged that state police themselves have leaked the letter to the media.
"Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan owes an explanation to the public. Why was such a crucial document leaked?" the Minister said.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran pointed out that the names of some religious organizations working as political parties were also in the intelligence report released by police. "At least two of these organizations are allies of the Left Front. Is the Chief Minister ready to expel them from the front," he asked.
"In any case, SPG has arranged a strong security for the Prime Minister. No program of the PM will be disrupted in Kerala. The Prime Minister's visit will be a huge success with mass participation," Surendran added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Kochi on April 24 to attend the youth conference 'Yuvam 2023' organised by a pro-BJP association. He is scheduled to participate in a massive roadshow in Kochi.
The PM is also expected to travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam on the Vande Bharat Express train as part of its launch on April 25.
The Kerala Police have intensified the security arrangements and launched a probe surrounding the threat.
