NEW DELHI: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a part of the Congress-led UPA alliance, has found itself embroiled in controversy as over 300 members of its youth wing were booked for allegedly raising provocative slogans during a protest in northern Kerala’s Kanhangad under the Kasaragod district.
At a protest rally against the Manipur violence, IUML members from the youth wing allegedly raised inflammatory slogans, including threats to “hang Hindus in front of temples and burn them alive.” The provocative sloganeering drew immediate attention and criticism from various quarters.
Youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the Congress, held a rally in Kerala’s Kasargode, and raised vile anti-Hindu slogans, threatening to hang them (Hindus) in front of Temples and burn them alive…
They wouldn’t have dared to go this far had the Pinarayi… pic.twitter.com/lFV5caJ18C
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) July 26, 2023
In response to the incident, the IUML leadership took swift action, expelling the worker who raised the provocative slogan from the organization. Youth League State General Secretary P K Firoz clarified that the worker had deviated from the printed version of slogans provided to the participants during the march.
Charges Against Political Activists
Nonetheless, the controversy continued to escalate, and a complaint filed by the BJP Kanhangad mandala president led to the registration of cases against the 300 individuals who participated in the Youth League march. They have been booked under Section 153A of the IPC, which deals with promoting enmity between different groups based on religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and engaging in acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.
We strongly condemn the shocking footage from the Kanhangad protest. The chants of "We will hang you in temples" and "We will burn you alive" by the Muslim League, aimed at Hindus, are utterly reprehensible and cannot be justified. @RahulGandhi must be held accountable for the… pic.twitter.com/KIZPakreyo
— BJP KERALAM (@BJP4Keralam) July 26, 2023
The video of the rally with the provocative slogans went viral, drawing further attention and condemnation from political leaders. Amit Malviya, a prominent BJP leader, questioned the safety of Hindus and Christians in Kerala, pointing to the rally’s content and calling out the support extended to IUML by the Pinarayi government.
Responding to the incident, Kerala BJP condemned the IUML’s actions and held Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accountable for the party’s actions, given the alliance between IUML and Congress.
The protest rally was organized in response to the violence in Manipur, which erupted after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts, protesting against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
