Police Will Probe Into Former Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal's Virtual Address At 'Solidarity Rally': Kerala CM

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the police would investigate the virtual address by a former Hamas leader at an event in the state.

In response to allegations made by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Bharatiya Janata Party Chief JP Nadda, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated, "If something inappropriate has occurred, the necessary actions will be taken." He also mentioned that the individual referred to as a Palestinian warrior spoke at an event organized by the Solidarity Youth Movement, which is the youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Vijayan expressed the need to review the content of the speech, noting that it appeared to be pre-recorded. He emphasised that when organizations like Jamaat-e-Islami seek police permission for events, it is typically not denied, as was the case in this situation.

"If something is wrong in that, the police will examine it, and action will be taken", he added. The chief minister alleged that the BJP was aiming at implicating people in false cases for merely expressing support for Palestine, and asserted that it would not be permitted in Kerala.

The Solidarity Youth Movement, which organised the rally, is associated with the youth wing of the Islamic organization Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, in Malappuram. They had organised a rally in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

A video showing Khaled Meshaal, a leader and former head of the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, addressed the event via videoconferencing stirred a controversy. The viral video showed posters carrying tagline "Uproot bulldozer Hindutva and apartheid Zionism".

Regarding the Hamas leader's attendance at the event, SYM's state chief, Suhaib CT, asserted that there was nothing "unusual or illegal" about it, in his view.

"Hamas is not a banned organisation in India nor has it been declared as a terrorist outfit. It does not operate in India as well. Their leaders have spoken several times to the people in Kerala at programmes in the past", he had said.