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BJP workers booked for putting up Jai Sree Ram banner at Kerala local body poll office
Both Congress and CPI(M) have filed police complaints alleging that putting up a banner of a political party at a government complex was a criminal offence.
The Kerala police on Friday registered a case against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and municipal councillors for putting up a ‘Jai Sree Ram’ banner at the Palakkad municipality office soon after the local body election victory on Wednesday.
The incident has triggered widespread protests in the state and the ruling CPI(M) and Congress said the saffron party was trying to vitiate the communal fabric of the state. The BJP has retained Palakkad municipality in local body elections.
After the issue snowballed into a big controversy, district BJP president E Krishnadas tried to play it down by calling it a ‘spontaneous reaction’ from jubilant party workers.
Both Congress and CPI(M) have filed police complaints alleging that putting up a banner of a political party at a government complex was a criminal offence.
Palakkad superintendent of police, Sujith Das, said a complaint was registered under Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for promoting disharmony among two sections of people. Later Palakkad municipal secretary also filed a complaint.
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BJP activists were celebrating victory in the local body election. Some activists climbed on top of Palakkad Municipality office building and unveiled posters hailing the Prime Minister and the Union home minister and some activists unveiled a banner which read ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Malayalam, a agency quoted police as saying.
On Friday CPI(M) workers unfurled a tri-colour at the building. “This is not Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh, it is Kerala,” said party youth wing leader T M Sasi.
In another civic poll related incident, 11 CPI(M) workers were arrested and remanded to 14 days’ police custody for allegedly attacking BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers and damaging a temple in Thrikkadeeri of Palakkad district during a victory march near Parappana Kuzhi Subramanya Temple on Thursday night, according to agency reports.
