A case has been registered against Hindu Aikya Vedi president RV Babu over Islamophobic and defamatory remarks in a social media post. Babu, under relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Kerala Police Act, has been charged for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and hurting religious sentiments and disseminating false information causing public nuisance. Babu will be summoned for questioning as a part of the ongoing investigation.
The remarks were made by Hindu Aikya Chief in the context of the Kerala Police anti narcotics campaign, Operation Toofan , after Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala sought the support of Samastha leader Jifri Muthukoya Thangal.
The Facebook post read- It is a good thing that the Home Minister has sought the support of Samastha leader Jifri Muthukoya Thangal for promoting Operation Toofan, the anti-drug campaign being implemented by the Home Department to make Kerala drug-free. More than leaders of other communities, it is the leaders of Samastha and their associates who should take the lead in this matter. This is because the majority of those involved in the widespread sale of narcotic drugs in the state and in smuggling them into Kerala belong to their own community, which is a matter of shame for that community itself. Whether it is drug trafficking or terrorism, nothing happens here without the knowledge of ‘njammante aalkaar’ (literally meaning ‘our people’, a derogatory slang term used to refer to Muslims.)”
The case by Thrikkakara Police in Kochi was registered following a complaint filed by People’s Democratic Party leader Ashraf Vazhakkala, who alleged that Babu’s social media post contained false and baseless statements that defamed the Muslim community and its leaders and had the potential to incite communal discord.
Over the years, R.V. Babu has been facing multiple allegations for hurling Islamophobic remarks.