Kerala blasts: Another case against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Kochi, Nov 2 (PTI) The Kerala police have registered another case against Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar for allegedly making statements that promote enmity between different groups through social media posts in connection with recent blasts at a convention centre in Kochi.

Ernakulam Central police registered the second case against the union minister over the same incident based on a complaint lodged by KPCC digital media convenor P Sarin.

BJP national secretary and spokesperson Anil Antony was also booked for his social media posts based on the complaint of the Congress leader.

“Both cases were registered on Tuesday under IPC 153 and 153A and Section 120 (O) of the Kerala Police Act,” a police officer told PTI.

IPC 153 and 153A refer to wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence respectively.

Section 120 (O) of the KP Act refers to causing nuisance and violation of public order.

A FIR was registered against Chandrasekhar under the same section earlier in the week also here over his social media posts with regard to the blast incident and an unrelated event organised by an Islamist group in Malappuram district in which a Hamas leader allegedly addressed the audience virtually.

Both Chandrasekhar and the BJP had slammed the registration of cases.

While the party condemned the action, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology had alleged that the FIR was registered for exposing the appeasement of Hamas by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.