Provocative Ramzan poster with ‘pork mandi’: Man booked in Kerala

Cherthala: A fresh controversy has erupted in Kerala after police registered a case over a provocative Ramzan greeting poster featuring pork mandi, intensifying communal tensions already simmering in the region. The action follows the circulation of the poster in the name of a restaurant that had recently been at the centre of a separate religious row.

Police have taken suo motu action against a local resident, accusing him of deliberately attempting to incite unrest through malicious and provocative content. Authorities say the intent behind the poster was to trigger communal disharmony, prompting swift legal intervention.

The latest incident comes on the heels of a major controversy involving Mehar Mandi and Grills, whose Vishu advertisement had already sparked outrage. The earlier poster depicted a religious figure in a manner that many believers found offensive, with imagery involving non-vegetarian food placed before the deity. The backlash was immediate and intense, with protests erupting and allegations that the act was a calculated attempt to provoke communal tensions.

Police had earlier detained the restaurant’s owners, Arshad (36) and Shamnas (30), in connection with the incident, though they were later granted bail. Facing mounting criticism, the owners issued a public apology and clarified that the controversial design had been created by an external advertising agency and was withdrawn once the issue came to their attention.

With tensions flaring again over the Ramzan poster, the situation underscores how repeated provocative content is fuelling anger on the ground, raising serious concerns over deliberate attempts to inflame religious sentiments and disturb public order in the state.