Kerala's ruling CPI(M) on Tuesday, 27 September said imposing a ban on an extremist organisation or a communal force would not put an end to its activities and if such a step has to be taken then Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) should be the first one to be banned.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan's statement came amidst reports that the Centre was planning to include the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the list of terror outfits.
His statement also comes a day after BJP chief J P Nadda alleged that Kerala was now a "hotspot" of terrorism and fringe elements and life was not safe in the southern state.
"If an organisation has to be banned, then it has to be RSS. It is the main organisation carrying out communal activities. Will it be banned? Banning an extremist organisation will not address the problem. RSS has been banned in the past. The CPI has been banned.
'RSS, BJP, Sangh Parivar Seeking to Ban PFI'
"Banning an organisation will not end it or its ideology. They would only come back with a new name or identity. We need to create awareness against such groups and take legal action against them when they commit any illegality," Govindan told reporters.
The CPI(M) state secretary was referring to the ban on CPI in 1950 and the bans on RSS in pre and post-independence India.
Govindan further said that RSS, BJP and the Sangh Parivar are presently seeking the ban on PFI.
So if communal forces are to be banned, RSS will have to be the first one. But that is not going to happen in the present political scenario in the countryM V Govindan, CPI(M) Kerala Secretary
The CPI(M) state secretary further said that when two communal forces confront each other, they make each other stronger and "that is what is going on now" be it RSS or a minority communal group.
'Strict Action Against Those Who Engaged In Violence'
He also answered in the negative when asked whether the Left front joined hands with such organisations to win elections in local body polls.
PFI, whose hundreds of leaders were recently arrested and its offices raided across the country, had called a hartal in Kerala on 23 September during which its activists had allegedly engaged in widespread violence resulting in damage to buses, public property and even attacks on the general public.
Regarding what happened on 23 September, Govindan said that while the government and the Left party were not against hartals, as everyone has the right to protest, it was not in favour of violence and destruction of property in the name of agitations.
The Chief Minister has said strict action would be taken against those who engaged in violence during the hartal. Damaging buses, attacking passengers and destruction of public property is what happened in the name of hartal.M V Govindan, CPI(M) Kerala Secretary
'Communal Outfits Targeting Ruling Left In Kerala'
"Strict action will be taken against those involved," he said.
On Monday too, Govindan had said banning extremist organisations will not end their activities.
He had alleged that both majority and minority communal outfits were targeting the ruling Left in the state.
Govindan's statement had come amid growing demand for enforcing a ban on PFI following last week's raids and arrest of the outfit leaders by multi-agency teams, spearheaded by NIA, at 93 locations in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.
Kerala, where the PFI has some strong pockets, accounted for the maximum number of 22 arrests.
The arrests were made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and police forces of the states concerned
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)