Probe into minor boy raising hate slogans during PFI rally begins
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 the preliminary investigation into it. “...however, no complaint has been received so far and no case registered yet,” police said.
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 CA Raoof said.
Raoof said steps would be taken to avoid such shortcomings.
NCPCR seeks FIR over incident
The apex child rights body NCPCR on Monday sought registration of an FIR against those responsible for allegedly letting a child raise provocative slogans during a political rally in Kerala.
In a letter to the Kerala Police chief, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said it has received a complaint over the child shouting slogans in Malayalam “in the sense of provocatively killing”.
It further alleged that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the PFI are using kids like this to spread hated, enmity and communal violence in the community.