Kerala CM cautions against efforts to create religious rift  

Pinarayi Vijayan was speaking during the 75th birthday celebrations of Theodosius Marthoma Metropolitan, head of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church…reports Asian Lite News

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday cautioned against concerted efforts to create a rift among religions and religious beliefs in the country.

Instead of nurturing harmony, cooperation and coexistence between religions, such forces are consciously trying to create division between them, the CM said.

He was speaking during the 75th birthday celebrations of Theodosius Marthoma Metropolitan, head of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church, here.

“Today, there are deliberate attempts by people with vested interests to create enmity between various religions and religious beliefs,” Vijayan said.

Without naming any particular political party, outfit or individual, he further charged that some forces were capable enough to create a rift even among those who should stand united and create confusion in the society about whom or what should be opposed.

In such situations, a humanitarian approach and interventions being made by personalities like Marthoma Metropolitan within the church and outside give hope to the society, the Chief Minister added.

HC refuses to stay probe into Veena’s firm

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court refused to stay the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe into Veena Vijayan’s IT firm Exalogic. The Karnataka High Court’s order is a massive setback to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as his daughter Veena Vijayan is the sole director of Exalogic.

The Karnataka High Court came out with a single line order stating that the SFIO probe can go forward and added that the full order would be put out on Saturday.

Last week Exalogic had approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the ongoing probe by the SFIO. The court had stated then that it would come out with its order soon, but until then no arrests should be made.

The SFIO is acting on the findings of the preliminary probe into the company conducted by the Registrar of Companies (ROC). Prior to the ROC investigation, this issue was first raised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on the basis of a media report, quoting an Income Tax official as saying that Exalogic had received Rs 1.72 crore from the mining company CMRL, in which the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has around 13 per cent stake.

The SFIO has already taken statements from CMRL and KSIDC officials and now with the court turning down Veena’s plea, all eyes are on when she will appear before the SFIO.

Kerala Guv steps out again to take on SFI activists

In what has become a familiar scene, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday evening vented his ire on the protesting SFI activists, the student wing of the CPI-M, when he got out of his vehicle and moved towards the protesters at Mattannur in Kannur District.

The incident took place when he was going to the Kannur Airport after visiting Wayanad District.

However, the armed security personnel with Khan acted quickly and formed a cordon around him even while he was moving towards the protesters numbering about 100.

Khan got irked because the SFI protesters were carrying a banner with the slogan, “Sanghi Governor, get out of Kannur.”

An angry Khan shouted, “I will stop my car and get out and come near you every time there is a protest.”

On Thursday, too, the same scene had played out when Khan, while travelling through Thrissur came out of the car after SFI activists waved black flags at him. There, too, his security men advised him to get inside the car, which he did.

Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have been at loggerheads for a while now. On January 27, things went out of hand when Khan during a visit to Kollam District staged a protest by sitting on the road for two hours against the “lapse” on the part of Kerala Police for not taking action against SFI protesters who came near his vehicle.

The Centre had intervened on that day itself, as it placed the Governor under Z+ security cover of the CRPF.

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