The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government on Saturday abruptly dropped the security cover provided to the retired High Court justice B Kemal Pasha, who has been a staunch critic of the CPM-led LDF government’s incompetence in managing a host of issues.

According to Justice Kemal Pasha, four police personnel deployed for his personal security were removed by the government. “The decision to withdraw my security was taken at the Home Secretary-level on Friday. The armed guards terminated their services to me today.”

The Kerala government’s move to remove security cover comes at a time when the retired judge is facing a looming threat from Islamic State terrorists active in Kerala.

However, the retired judge said that such tactics wouldn’t silence him and he will continue to express his opinions fearlessly. “I am an ordinary person and have always spoken for the people. I have criticised the way things had gone in Kerala, like in the Walayar incident, slapping of UAPA charges against two youths, a Kerala Minister about the use of drugs by people in the film industry. I have spoken numerous times what I felt and will continue to do so,” he said.

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The retired justice has been critical of several of the policy decisions taken by the CPI(M) government in Kerala including his recently deprecatory remarks made about the alleged killing of the four Maoists in an encounter by police in Attappadi recently. Pasha asserted that the government, as a retaliatory measure for his castigatory statements, has decided to abruptly remove his security despite continuing ISIS threat against him.