Kochi: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has obtained protection from the Kerala High Court against coercive action by the Kerala police until December 14 in cases related to promoting enmity between different groups through his social media posts.
The charges stem from Chandrasekhar's comments on the blasts at a convention centre of the Christian group Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Ernakulam district on October 29, which resulted in six fatalities.
The Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology had criticized the Kerala government for allegedly ignoring outfits supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Chandrasekhar, in a post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of protesting against Israel while terrorist group Hamas openly called for jihad, leading to attacks and bombings on innocent Christians.
However, a twist in the narrative emerged when a man named Dominic Martin claimed responsibility for the blasts, attributing it to his anger towards the teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation. Martin was subsequently arrested on October 30 and is currently in judicial custody.
In response to the allegations against Chandrasekhar, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani argued in the High Court that the accusations were baseless and politically motivated. Jethmalani contended that Chandrasekhar had not targeted any particular community but had highlighted the "appeasement politics" prevalent in Kerala.
The cases against Chandrasekhar were filed based on complaints from P Sarin, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s digital media cell convener, and Sub-Inspector Pramod YT of the Kochi Police’s cyber cell.
As of November 4, the Kerala Police have reportedly filed a total of 54 cases related to allegedly inflammatory social media posts about the blasts. The court's decision to halt coercive action against Chandrasekhar until December 14 adds a new layer to this complex and politically charged situation.