Provocative slogans calling for violence against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were raised at a BJP-RSS rally held in Kodungallur on Tuesday, January 4. The incident came to light after a live video of the rally was shared by BJP State Spokesperson for Kerala, Sandeep Vachaspati, on his social media. The people part of the rally, holding up BJP flags, were seen shouting slogans in Malayalam against the Chief Minister.
“We will butcher Pinarayi Vijayan and feed him to dogs in the Kannur land,” was one of the slogans raised. The BJP-RSS rally was held to observe the death anniversary of BJP’s then municipal area secretary Sathyesh (33), who was killed in an attack in 2006.
According to the Kodungallur police, around 1,000 persons participated in the rally that took place on Tuesday and it was a 250-300 metre-long procession. While police were present at intervals, the slogans were raised from the middle section of the rally, which had escaped their notice, they added.
A case has been registered against the cadre under Section 283 of the Indian Penal Code (Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) and sections of the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance.
After the sloganeering incident was brought to the notice of the police on Thursday, relevant sections will be added to the existing case, the police added.
Earlier in December of last year, a similar incident was reported in Thalassery where hateful slogans were raised at a BJP rally. Visuals of that incident had shown several BJP youth wing functionaries marching in Kannur, raising slogans that threatens the Muslim community in the area by claiming that no more ‘azaan’ or call to prayer should be heard there anymore.