Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that the NIA probe into “love Jihad” case in Kerala was necessary as “a particular pattern is visible”.

The Supreme Court’s order had “given some kind of legitimacy” to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter, he told the media during a brief interaction on the sidelines of a conference here.

The minister’s reaction was sought on the Supreme Court’s direction to NIA to probe the case relating to conversion of a Hindu woman and her marriage to a Muslim man.

The minister supported the NIA’s argument that it’s not one-off case in Kerala and that there is a particular pattern.

Rijiju, however, declined to comment further. “Right now I will not comment on the case as it is under investigation by the Supreme Court,” he said.

Replying to a query, he said the nation was capable of dealing with any internal or external threat.

“There are certain issues in our country which includes internal threats that is not to extent that the nation has to worry. India is capable of dealing with any internal or external threat,” he said while evading direct reply to National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah’s statement that the country faced threat from within and from one person.

“If somebody is making a comment which is political in nature, it’s not worthy of giving a political retort from my side because I represent the government,” he said when pressed further to comment on Abdullah’s remark.

Earlier, replying to questions at the seminar on ‘Youth Convention on National Security – Modi Government’s efforts and achievements’, Rijiju said the Central government was not showing discrimination towards any state or section of people.

“Things are reported when there are political equations. And, our responses get ignored if there are no political equations,” he said when a student asked him why the Union Home Ministry voiced concern when an RSS activist was attacked in Kerala but kept mum when a Christian pastor was killed in Punjab.

“The Home Ministry is concerned about every untoward incident. (Union Home Minister) Rajnath Singhji spoke to Punjab CM when the pastor was attacked. He (Rajnath) also gave a similar response when the Kerala incident took place. But, because of political equations, his concern for Kerala incident was highlighted more,” he said.