Alappuzha: The Kerala Police on Tuesday took one person into custody in the case over alleged provocative slogans raised by a minor boy during a march by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in coastal Alappuzha.
The individual hails from Kottayam's Erattupetta. It is suspected that he brought the child to the rally.
Popular Front Alappuzha Unit President Navas Wandan and Secretary Mujeeb are the first and second accused.
The person who carried the boy on his shoulders will also be an accused in the case.
Police said the case has been registered under section 153 A of the Indian Penal Code which deals with the offence of promoting enmity between different religious groups.
"The case has been registered against the organisers of the event. Section 153 A has been charged. Case is also against the group of people with whom the minor boy attended the rally," a police officer said.
The case was filed based on the complaint filed by Abibashaka Parishad. The Child Welfare Comiittee head K V Manojkumar has also sought a report on the matter.
A short video of a boy sitting on the shoulder of a person during the "Save the Republic" rally held by the PFI in Alappuzha on May 21 and raising allegedly provocative slogans has gone viral on social media.
Taking serious note of the incident, the police had earlier in the day said it had launched a preliminary investigation into it.
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.
(With PTI inputs.)
