Kochi police book Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar over hate speech

Kochi: The police here on Tuesday registered a case against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar for spreading hate speech on social media.
Based on complaints received from the Congress and others against the union minister over his social media posts related to the Kalamassery blasts, Kochi Central Police registered charges under IPC 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups).

The charges under IPC section 153 A are non-bailable, legal experts point out. It is learnt that Kochi police will proceed with the case as the government has decided to take stringent action against those who indulge in hate speech on social media. The police action comes a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused Chandrasekhar of 'spewing deadly poison to dent Kerala's secular credentials'.

Chandrasekhar had accused the Kerala government of extending support to Hamas and linked the blasts to the state's apparent appeasement politics. The minister's comments were unanimously criticised by the government and the opposition.

Kerala Police have identified over 200 social media posts, including Chandrasekhar's comment, which spread hatred in society during the cyber patrol that launched after the blasts. Apart from the union minister, nearly 18 people have been booked for hate speech.

Three people were killed and over 50 were injured during the multiple blasts at the international convention centre in Kalamassery on Sunday where followers of Jehovah's Witnesses had gathered for the final day of a three-day-long prayer meeting.

Soon after the incident, Chandrasekhar took to social media platform X to slam the state government and say that Kerala's support for 'Terrorist Jihad' led to the attack on 'innocent Christians'. 

“Price of appeasement politics of Cong and CPM will always be borne by innocents of all communities - That is what history has taught us.Brazen appeasement politics - shameless even by Cong/CPM/UPA/INDI alliance standards to invite Terrorist Hamas to spread hate & call for "Jihad" in Kerala. This is height of irresponsible madness politics. Enough ! "You can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbors. You know, eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard" - Hilary Rodham Clinton,” (sic) Rajeev Chandrasekhar wrote on X.

A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses Dominic Martin later confessed to the crime.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Pinarayi said Chandrasekhar had been spewing not just poison, but deadly poison in a bid to dent the secular credentials of Kerala. "He and his friends have been targetting a particular community and making grave allegations to disturb the state's secular fabric. But there is nothing to be surprised. Their mentality on issues like this has been clear as day," he said.

Before Martin confessed to the crime, Chandrasekhar had also said that the blast happened just 24 hours after the LDF government gave permission to an event that had a Hamas leader inciting people to violence against non-believers.