THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday responded to the statement of Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt that love jihad and narcotic jihad are taking place in Kerala. The Chief Minister said that those in responsible positions should take utmost care when dealing with such issues so as not to create any kind of religious discrimination and create unnecessary divisions.

"The Bishop of Pala is also a respected religious scholar. It is important to be careful not to create any kind of religious division. This is the first time we are hearing of narcotics jihad. The problem with narcotics is that it does not only affect a particular religious group. It affects the entire society. As an issue that affects society as a whole, we are all concerned about it. Steps are being taken to prevent it as much as possible. The government is strengthening legal action to prevent it. So, narcotics should not be given the colour of any particular religion," the CM said.