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The Kannavam police in Kerala’s Kannur district registered a case against unnamed individuals associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for sharing a provocative video allegedly mocking the death of a Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) worker who was killed five years ago.
On September 8, marking the death anniversary of SDPI worker Salahuddin, several RSS-linked Instagram pages shared a video showing a cake-cutting with a dagger. The words “Pride, Kannavam Swayamsevaks” were written on the cake. After the cake was cut, crackers were burst, as seen in the video.
One of the RSS-linked accounts ‘Durganagar Chundayil’ shared the video by tagging the SDPI unit of Kannavam. The video was shared with the caption: “The day when Kannur Swayamsevak workers were happy despite thousands of losses. The day that the Swayamsevaks of Kannavam sent SDPI's hunting pig to his death.”
Salahuddin was killed on September 8, 2020, allegedly by RSS and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers.
The Kannavam police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unnamed individuals under Section 192 (provocation with the intent to cause a riot) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
The FIR stated that the cake-cutting was an expression of joy over the killing of Salahuddin. According to the FIR, the video was posted with the intention of creating political conflict in the Kannavam region. “Anti-social elements have deliberately circulated the video to disturb the peaceful atmosphere and create political tension in the area,” the FIR reads.