Bengaluru: Kerala’s crime branch has initiated an investigation against its just retired police chief T.P. Senkumar’s controversial remarks on the Muslim community, according to regional news channel Manorama News. Post his retirement on 30 June, Senkumar, in an interview, made several controversial remarks against the Muslim community in the state, creating an uproar in social and political circles.

The Muslim community accounts for 42% of the childbirths in Kerala these days whereas their population is just 27%, this could alter the state’s demography, Senkumar said in an interview to a regional news magazine Samakaalika Malayalam.

He added that “love jihad", the alleged practice of Muslim men luring Hindu girls to convert to Islam, is a reality in Kerala and that the activities of terror outfit Islamic State cannot be compared with that of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The remarks were construed by some as provocative and anti-Muslim, and except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), political parties across the spectrum condemned them.

The BJP, in fact, said Senkumar’s observations were close to the views of some its leaders and invited him to join politics under its banner.

The police have received eight complaints against Senkumar’s remarks, and Director General of Police (DGP) Loknath Behra on Tuesday assigned Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Nithin Agarwal to investigate the matter, said the Manorama report. Both Senkumar and Behra were unavailable for an immediate comment.

The former police chief had a strained relationship with the current Left front government and Behra.

Senkumar was removed as state police chief when the new government came to power last May. But he waged a one-year-long legal battle and returned to the post.

Behra was made the police chief for the period when Senkumar was away, and also post the latter’s retirement. Senkumar had made public his dissatisfaction with the way police functioned during Behra’s time, such as its inability to control political violence.

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