The members of the radical Islamic organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI), issued threats to Republic TV journalists and crew for reporting on the recent hate speech rally organised by them in Alappuzha, Kerala.
According to Republic TV, the channel’s crew had visited Kerala to trace the minor boy who was seen raising provocative slogans against Hindus and Christians at a PFI rally in Kerala’s Alappuzha. However, they were confronted by the PFI members, who threatened them for reporting on the case.
In a video shared by the Republic TV, some members allegedly belonging to the PFI asked the Republic TV crew to “stop reporting, and leave the locality, or bear the consequences.”
#RepublicWillReport | Republic crew threatened while reporting on viral video of kid at PFI event in Kerala.
— Republic (@republic) May 27, 2022
Watch here-https://t.co/bbyaMx5ll9 pic.twitter.com/HZvpuEkT1W
“It would be better for you if you leave,” one of the men can be heard saying in the video, shot outside the minor boy’s residence.
Earlier on Thursday, the Kerala police had traced the details of the minor boy who was seen raising provocative slogans against Hindus and Christians at the PFI rally. A police team from Alappuzha had reached Kochi to collect information regarding the minor boy and his parents after he was seen making hate speech against non-Muslims while sitting on the shoulders of another PFI worker.
The police are tracking the minor’s parents to take action against them for instigating him to deliver such provocative slogans. A video had gone viral recently in which a boy was seen making hate slogans at the ‘Save the Republic’ rally conducted by PFI on May 21.
“Hindus should keep rice for their last rites, and Christians should keep incense sticks for their last rites. If your live decently, you can live in our land, and if you don’t live decently, we know Azadi (freedom). Live decently, decently, decently,” the boy was heard saying in the video from the rally. Today Kerala High Court also ordered to take action against oragisers of the PFI rally for use of minor boy to raise divisive slogans.
Kochi Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju said that they have accessed more details about the minor, which he said cannot be divulged at the moment. The police have also hinted about a conspiracy, suggesting that the minor was trained to chant slogans.
“We have launched a detailed probe to identify the people who trained the boy to deliver such provocative slogans,” said a police officer.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Police have arrested Ansar Najeeb, the person who carried the minor child on his shoulders. During the interrogation, Najeeb claimed that he did not know who the child was but carried him on his shoulders just out of curiosity. PFI Alappuzha district president PA Navas was also booked in connection with the incident.
