Former Kerala DGP TP Senkumar. (Facebook)

TP Senkumar, former Kerala police chief, is in news for making controversial statements. In an interview to Samakalika Malayalam, an online publication, on Saturday, the ex-DGP said the Muslim community should make attempts to check religious extremism from within. “There should be attempts from within the community to check religious extremism,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying to the Malayalam publication.

Senkumar had retired from service last month. In the interview, he also said that there is “no sense” talking about RSS while discussing terrorism. “When speaking about extremism, there is no sense speaking about the RSS. One cannot have a comparison between the RSS and the Islamic State,” Senkumar said.

The retired cop further said that Muslim community should not understand Jihad the way it is being understood by them now. “The problem comes when a Muslim is taught he should do jihad to attain heaven and that jihad is when one converts another into Islam and kills a non-Muslim. Jihad should not be understood by the Muslim community in the manner in which they are understanding it now…,” Senkumar said.

Senkumar also alleged that “love jihad” is still being practised by a section of the Muslim population. “If religious conversions happen over love, such things would have taken place in all religions. But such conversions happen only in the Muslim community,” he said. Senkumar also talked about “demographic change” in Kerala and linked it to the alleged growing Muslim population in Kerala. Of every 100 births in the state, Senkumar claimed, 42 belong to the Muslims, who constitute only 27 per cent of the state population. For Hindus, who constitute 54% population, he said the birth rate is only 42 per cent, while for the Christians, who constitute 19 per cent of state population, the birth rate is 15 per cent. “If demography is changing in this manner, what kind of change would be taking place in Kerala in the future? Although the Christian birth rate is coming down, their population is not falling because of the conversions they are doing,” Senkumar said.

The ex-Cop also said he had recently watched a video clip of a Ramzan speech that found fault with the killing of men to save cows. According to The Indian Express, Senkumar said, “Such speeches would have far-reaching consequences. Action should be taken against them.”

Senkumar’s comments triggered protests in Kerala. General secretary of IUML, an ally of Congress, P K Kunhalikutty told IE that Senkumar should not have talked in this manner. Congress MP MI Shanavas accused Senkumar of “speaking for the Sangh Parivar” and he should be booked for “attempting to create communal hatred.”