Police launch probe into minor boy raising “hate” slogans during PFI rally in Kerala

PTI, May 23, 2022, 4:30 PM IST

Alappuzha: Kerala police on Monday said they have launched a preliminary investigation into a purported video in which provocative slogans were being raised by a minor boy during a march by Popular Front of India (PFI) at coastal Alappuzha. A short video of a boy sitting on the shoulder of a person during ”Save the Republic” rally held by PFI on May 21 here and raising allegedly provocative slogans that went viral on social media.

Taking serious note of the incident, police said they have launched a preliminary investigation into it. ”…however, no complaint has been received so far and no case registered yet,” police told PTI.

The provocative sloganeering by the child evoked criticism from various quarters.

Meanwhile, the PFI, in an internal note, which was made available to the media, said such slogans were against the policy of the outfit and would look into the matter.

”We have given approved slogans which were to be raised in the public rally at Alappuzha. Thousands of party workers and others joined the rally protesting against the RSS. The visual of a boy raising slogans came to our notice now. Those slogans were not approved or given by the organisers of the rally. It’s not the policy of the organisation to provoke or raise provocative slogans,” PFI State secretary C A Raoof, said in the note.

Raoof said steps would be taken to avoid such shortcomings.

Hours before the PFI rally, Bajrang Dal workers took out a ”shaurya rally” in Alappuzha raising slogans that ”the country cannot be handed over to anti-nationals and communalists,”.

Last year, Alappuzha witnessed back-to-back killings of a State leader of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the PFI, and a State BJP leader within 12 hours.