The Kerala Police on Monday said that they have begun investigating a viral video in which a boy is seen raising a provocative slogan allegedly at a Popular Front of India (PFI) march."The video came to our notice yesterday only and we are examining where this happened," said the police. The hardline Muslim outfit conducted a massive rally at Alappuzha as part of its “save the republic’’ campaign on May 21. A video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the boy, seated on the shoulders of another person, prompting provocative slogans that apparently contained hate for other religions. Others around the boy in the rally are heard repeating after him.
In the slogans, the boy was heard exhorting people to keep rice and puffed rice (usually used during Hindu cremations) ready at their homes. He also urged keeping incense (used by Christians during funerals) ready at homes. “Here comes your kalan (personification of death). If you live with courtesy… you can live here. Otherwise… we know what to do,’’ the boy was heard saying.The police’s special branch in the district said the hate speech was under their scanner. “We have noticed it and verified that the boy had raised the slogans during the PFI rally held in Alappuzha on Saturday. We are trying to identify the boy to find out who made him make such provocative slogans,’’ a police source said.BJP state spokesperson Sandeep G Varier said the boy “who had warned Hindus to wait for death with puffed rice and Christians with incense” should be taught that he is living in India. He should be told that such things would not be possible in India. “The boy says they are kalan (yama),” said Varier.Kerala Catholic Bishops Council former secretary Fr Varghese Vallikkatt said such slogans were a threat to India’s diversity. “These slogans may not have come from the innocence of that boy. There is a fascist tone behind it. Everyone should think whether such slogans are conducive for the healthy future of the country,’’ he said.