Kasaragod communal sloganeering: Five arrested, strict vigil throughout district

A screenshot from a video of the march oganised by the Youth League in Kanhangad on Tuesday.

Kasaragod: The Kasaragod Police arrested five on Wednesday for provocative sloganeering and have set up restrictions in the district, including curbs on social media usage.

Those arrested are Kalluravi natives Abdul Salam, 18, s/o Hasainar and Sherif, 38, s/o Shafi; Kalichanadukkam native Hameed, 25; Iqbal Road resident Ayub PH, 45 and P Muhammad Kunji, 55 of Karakundu, Padannakkad.

The Karasagod Cyber Police have also registered a case for spreading communal disharmony over social media.

P Balakrishnan Nair, DySP, Kanhangad, said that social media profiles are being monitored and the accused will be arrested soon.

Earlier on the day, over 300 were booked in connection with the incident that took place during a march organised by the Youth League in Kanhangad on Tuesday.

The march was organised in solidarity with the victims of violence in Manipur.

An officer of the Hosdurg Police Station said that the cases were registered against 307 identifiable persons including V K Fyzal Babu, National Council Secretary, Muslim Youth League.

Probe into social media
According to an official release, District Police Chief, Dr Vaibhav Saxena, is heading the operation to find those guilty of provocative sloganeering during a rally organised by the Youth League in Kanhangad on Tuesday.

The police said those found guilty will be booked under non-bailable charges.

Steps have been taken to track those who spread disharmony over social media, the release said. "Group admins will be included as accused if communal messages are found in social media groups. A strict night vigil will also be observed and those found roaming without a reason will be arrested as a precautionary measure," the release said.

The BJP's Yuva Morcha had filed a complaint. The incident caught national attention after BJP Kerala president K Surendran tweeted about it.

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