Suicide bomb attack threat issued ahead of Modi's Kerala visit
The Kerala Police is reportedly on high alert after a threat letter was issued against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to visit the southern state on Monday. According to the news outlet The Indian Express, the letter was allegedly written in Malayalam and warned of a suicide bomb blast against the prime minister.
Why does this story matter?
The prime minister is scheduled to visit Kerala for a youth convention and other government events. Per reports, he will also take part in a massive roadshow in Kochi. As part of security precautions, over 2,000 police officers have been deployed in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, respectively. Since the letter came in, the state police have also initiated a probe into the matter.
Details on suicide bomb threat letter against PM Modi
It is learned that the letter was sent on April 17 to the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Reportedly, the letter was received at the BJP's Thiruvananthapuram headquarters and was handed over to the police by state party president K Surendran. The letter was issued in the name of one Ernakulam resident Joseph Johnny, who denied any involvement with the letter.
Surendran flagged serious security lapse ahead of Modi's Kerala visit
Regarding the matter, state BJP president Surendran claimed that the "leak of the intelligence report" from the police was a significant error that should be investigated. The 49-page report allegedly contains information such as the names of the personnel on duty, their tasks, and the prime minister's detailed program chart, among others. However, since the leak, a new plan is being put together.
Here's what Surendran said earlier
"We handed over the threat letter to the police," Surendran said. "It's also baffling to note that an intelligence report of the Kerala Police mentions strong presence of terrorist and anti-national forces in the state and it's baffling as one doesn't know if the timing of the report comes at a time when the PM is visiting or is it something else," he added.
Details on PM Modi's Kerala visit
PM Modi is scheduled to reach Kochi on Monday to take part in the youth conference "Yuvam 2023," organized by a pro-BJP association. He is also expected to travel to Kollam from Thiruvananthapuram in the Vande Bharat Express train as part of its launch on Tuesday. Notably, his visit is part of his two-day tour to several states from April 24-25.
