[1] Ranković was a proponent of a centralized Yugoslavia and opposed efforts that promoted decentralization that he deemed to be against the interests of the Serbian people;[2] he ensured Serbs had a strong presence in Serbia's Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo's nomenklatura.

[14] Kosovo Albanians were singled out for harsher treatment as they had resisted the reinstatement of Yugoslav control after the end of the Second World War.

[19] Following the Yugoslav-Soviet Union split (1948), local Albanians were viewed by the state as possible collaborators of pro-Soviet Albania and consequently Kosovo became an area of focus for the secret service and police force under Ranković.

[20] Ranković was one of Tito's close political and influential associates that oversaw the purges of communists accused of being pro-Stalin following the Soviet-Yugoslav split.

[15] The secret police operating in the People's Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia were under the full control of Ranković, unlike in Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia, due to national tensions in the organisation.

[15] Between 1945–1966, Ranković upheld Serbian minority control of mainly Albanian inhabited Kosovo through repressive anti-Albanian policies by the secret police.

[26] These efforts were undertaken through the pretense of illegal weapons searches or police actions that involved torture and the death of alleged and real political opponents, often referred to as "irredentists".

[27][28][29] Kosovo under the control of Ranković was viewed by Turkey as the individual that would implement "the Gentleman's Agreement", a deal (1953) reached between Tito and Turkish foreign Minister Mehmet Fuat Köprülü that promoted Albanian emigration to Anatolia.

[31][30][15] Large numbers of Albanians and Sandžak Muslims left Yugoslavia for Turkey,[15] whereas Montenegrin and Serb families were installed in Kosovo during the period under Ranković.

[15] The secret police force under Ranković had spied on individuals belonging to the communist leadership group, with reports of attempted blackmail involving their personal information.

[32] The official reason given was that the alleged conspiracy involving his associates never materialised and that Ranković had earned respectability due to his participation in the development of the country.

[32] Edina Bećirević states that the actual reason was Ranković had extensive surveillance accumulated by his secret police that could compromise a large portion of the Yugoslav leadership, even Tito.

[24] Following his dismissal, the government repression under Ranković in Kosovo toward Albanians was revealed[18] and his patriotic pursuit to secure the region was debunked.

[33][24][26] The removal of Ranković was positively received by Albanians and some other Yugoslavs, whereas it generated concerns within Yugoslavia that Serbs would become vulnerable and lack protection in Kosovo.

[26] Reforms decentralising government and greater powers for the republics were enacted after the Ranković era[31] and Tito changed his view and stated that recognition of Muslims and their national identity should occur.

[36][37][38][39][40][41][excessive citations] The funeral itself became a Serb "nationalistic event" where attendees expressed sentiments that a Ranković figure was required in Kosovo to control the Albanian population.

[21][42] Abiding by policies of Tito that restricted public sentiments of national division, state authorities and media attempted to sideline the demands of a protest petition and to downplay the nationalist aspects regarding the funeral.

[21] The authorities were astounded by the events at the funeral, as they expected people to have forgotten about someone who was in complete media and political isolation for almost two decades.

Many perceived Ranković as a defender of Yugoslavia and believed that if he had stayed in power, demonstrations and rebellions of the Albanians on Kosovo would not have happened.

[11] For a faction within the Serbian Communist Party that aimed toward state centralisation, Ranković was viewed as a defender of Serb interests.

[32] Perspectives of Ranković among Kosovo Serbs was a hope for a return to conditions of the time he was in power, as he represented order and peace.